Tyler's Story (Tales of Quelondain) (16 page)

Heidi took his hand and let him pull her up. “So,
have you been to any other fishing festivals?”

Tyler shook his head. “Never. I was too young to
attend any festivals or celebrations before the war and since then,
I’ve avoided them.” He looked down at the feel of her hand on his
arm.

“You really don’t like crowds, do you?” She frowned
at the smirk on his face. “We can go, if you want. We don’t have to
stay.”

“No, it’s fine. This will be the one and only time
you get to see this. I can avoid them for the rest of my life.” He
smiled. “You’ll need a dress.”

“What?”

He chuckled at the disbelief on her face. “The first
night of any festival in Quelondain is a dance. The requirement for
attendance is a dress for the women and a jacket for the men.”

“But…”

“Heidi. It’s not a problem.”

“Tyler, I don’t have any money and I’m not going to
let you buy me a dress just so I can wear it once.”

Tyler started to laugh. “By the moons, now you’re
starting to sound like my Aunt Hayden. The woman would rather be
seen naked than in a dress.”

“It’s not that I don’t like dresses. Actually, I have
quite a few at home. The problem is that this is going to cost
money.”

“And I just told you it wasn’t a problem.”

“Look, maybe it’s none of my business, but you don’t
live anywhere, you don’t have a job, and yet you still seem to have
no lack of funds. You buy supplies and you bought me a dagger and
you got me clothes and now you want to get me a dress. I know
things here aren’t free.”

Tyler frowned at the look on her face. “You think I’m
a thief?” His frown deepened as she turned red.

“Are you?”

“Would it matter? Would you find someone else to stay
with?” He stopped talking and faced her. “Would you leave me?” The
last sentence came out so softly it was almost a whisper and he
wanted to slap himself for saying it out loud.

“Tyler…”

“Ah, but you can’t leave me, can you? Not if you want
to go home.”

Her grey green eyes flared with anger. “You think
that’s why I’m still here? If you’ll remember correctly, John was
supposed to get me home. You told him how. If I wanted to leave you
I could! All I’d have to do is find someone to get me to Sageden
and then I’d need to find Hayden and Jasper. You know what, Tyler?
Right now, that sounds like a fine and dandy idea to me. Don’t
worry about it. Go on and leave and go on your merry way. I’ll get
home by myself.” She turned and stalked off toward Harring.

Tyler clenched his jaw in an effort to keep from
yelling something he knew he’d regret later. By the moons, maybe he
should take her up on her offer. Going off on his own, getting lost
in the woods, that seemed like a fine and dandy idea indeed, but
the thought of her relying on someone else… He growled and jogged
to catch up to her.

“Heidi…” He fell into step with her. When she
wouldn’t look at him, he took three long strides to get ahead of
her and turned so he blocked her way. She stopped short and turned
her head. He noticed the tears glistening on her cheeks. “Heidi.”
He pulled her to his chest and felt her relax against him. “I’m not
a thief or a cheat. I find work here and there in my travels. I’d
done anything from training pups and cubs to spar to farming to
raising florshs, to… well, I could go on, but I’m hoping you get
the point. I have money because I don’t spend it.”

Heidi took a few deep breaths. “I’m not staying with
you because you’re the one who can get me home.”

His heart jumped as he thought back to her
conversation with John. “I know.” He kissed her forehead.

“You do?” She buried her face in his chest, too
scared to look at him.

“I do.” It was his turn to take the deep breaths.
“And I wish you could stay, Heidi. More than anything, I wish you
could.” He tightened his hold on her. “But you need to go home.” He
smoothed her hair. “And I promise I’ll get you there.” He took her
hand and started to lead her toward Harring. By the moons, this was
going to be a long couple of months.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

John took a sip of his sloan and looked up as Tyler
walked into the pub. He raised an eyebrow at his friend.

“You didn’t think to shave?”

Tyler shrugged then rolled his shoulders to readjust
the dark blue jacket that ended mid-thigh. “I shaved a couple of
days ago.” He felt his jaw and shrugged again. “It’s not like I’m
trying to find a mate.” He sat took a sip of the sloan John had
already ordered for him.

John grunted. “You could show up to the dance wearing
ripped pants and tunic and you’d still have offers.”

Tyler rolled his eyes then smiled at his friend.
Almost three months after they’d first met, the transformation in
him was amazing. He’d put on the weight he’d lost and just the
confidence alone that he’d gained made him turn some women’s
heads.

“Are you planning on leaving tomorrow first
thing?”

Tyler shook his head. “The morning after; I imagine
it will be a late night tonight.”

“Tyler…” John stopped short at the dark look his
friend sent his way. “Never mind.” He looked at the door and beamed
as Trista appeared in a pale yellow dress that fit tight in the
bodice and flared from her hips to the ground. Her red hair was
pulled up and tied in a sort of loose bun, leaving her neck and
shoulders bare. He stood and pulled a chair back for her. She
giggled as he placed a soft kiss on her exposed skin.

Tyler, who had been watching the pair with a mixture
of gladness and jealousy, jumped at the feel of a small hand on his
shoulder. Heidi laughed.

“I don’t remember you being this easy to surprise,”
she said with a grin. “That’s twice in two days, now.”

Tyler stood, ready to defend his lack of attention,
only to be rendered speechless by the sight before him as he
turned.

Heidi blushed as he closed his mouth with obvious
effort. “Do you like it?” She performed a little curtsy and full
turn for his benefit.

He watched as the light blue of her dress swirled
around her feet. His gaze moved up to her slim waist where the
satin material hugged up her torso. The dark blue trim along the
low cut neckline made the skin over it seem paler than usual. Her
hair hung in dark loose ringlets. He touched the two white flowers
she had pinned over her right ear.

“You look…” He shook his head as he tried to think of
the word he wanted. “Beautiful, but more so.” He smiled and kissed
her forehead. “Heart stopping.” He pulled the chair next to his out
before sitting back down. He stroked his jaw again and smirked. “I
should have shaved.”

Heidi shook her head. “I like you like this. You look
fabulous, by the way. You really do clean up nice.”

“Yes, well, only for you.”

John raised an eyebrow at the two of them. Neither
noticed.

“Would you like a drink before we leave?” Tyler stood
before he was even done asking the question. He looked around the
table, smiled at their nods, and headed to get four more drinks.
John came to stand at his side.

“What are you doing?”

Tyler frowned. “What do you mean?”

John looked to the table and back to his friend. “I
mean, what’s going on between you and Heidi? Has she decided to
stay?”

Tyler shook his head. “No.” He glanced at Heidi and
gave her his best smile. “No, she hasn’t. I haven’t given her the
option.”

“Really, because, sitting across the table from the
two of you, it looks as though the two of you have decided to take
this past the friendship stage.”

Tyler chuckled. “Well, then, it’s working perfectly.”
He ordered four sloans. “You were right about the attention any
unfated man or woman is going to get tonight. I’m not interested in
it and neither is Heidi, so for tonight, we’re together.”

John shook his head in disbelief. “By the moons,
nothing good is going to come of this.” He ordered four shots of
jeckden from the bartender. “We’re all going to need a shot to get
through tonight.” He grinned and the two of them made their way
back to the table.

Heidi sniffed her shot suspiciously. “Is it
good?”

Tyler laughed. “My aunt says it’s like strong
whiskey.” He took his shot and watched as she brought the small
glass up to her lips. She shrugged, wrinkled her nose, and tipped
the glass back. She closed her eyes as the dark brown liquid burned
down her throat. Unable to keep it in, she buried her head in her
arms and coughed. Tyler rubbed and patted her back, trying not to
laugh.

“Oh my god!” she sputtered as she came up for air.
She gratefully took the mug of sloan Tyler was holding out to her
and took four long swallows. “Ugh, that’s not like any whiskey I’ve
ever had!” She took another swallow of ale. “Of course, I usually
take mine in a glass of coke.

“Ok, so are there any rules or anything I need to
know about?”

Trista shook her head. “The only rule is for
tonight’s ball. Every woman must have a dress and every man a
jacket. Other than that, just have a good time.” She grinned and
took a swallow of her drink.

Heidi smiled. “I could use a night of fun.”

John acted shocked. “What? Are you saying you haven’t
had fun while in our company?”

Tyler shrugged and waved in dismissal. “What’s not
fun about displacement stones, crazy Wedelven magic wielders, and
Zerpanays?”

“I’m insulted!”

“So am I!”

Heidi was laughing so hard at their antics she
knocked her empty shot glass off of the table. She bent over to
retrieve it from the floor and cried out as her head collided with
Tyler’s.

“Ow!” She sat up, her laughter making it hard to
breathe.

“You have a very hard head for such a tiny woman,”
Tyler teased as he set her glass back on the table. He brushed her
hair back from her forehead “Though it does seem that mine may be
harder. Sorry.”

Heidi’s laughter faded and she smiled. “I’m
fine.”

Tyler stood and she looked at him and the arm he held
out to her. “Shall we?”

She grinned and linked her arm with his. “Let’s.”

John stood with a shake of his head. He looked down
at Trista who was watching them walk to the door with wide grey
eyes. She looked up at him with a frown.

“Are they…?”

“Apparently, it’s just for show.”

She grunted. “If it’s a show, then I’m a brunette.
I’ll bet you a back rub those two end up mated tonight.”

“If that happens, it will be the least of our
worries. It’s what happens if they don’t I’m worried about.
Actually, I don’t think it matters how tonight ends for those two,
it will be a disaster either way.”

Trista frowned and walked after him as he took her
hand and followed the topic of their conversation out the door
without bothering to explain himself.

The night was starting to darken and the air was
starting to cool. Everything from the trees and plants to the
beings walking around seemed to relax as the heat of the day
lifted. Heidi looked up at Tyler.

“So, this dance is going to be on the beach?”

He nodded.

“How are we going to see? It’s going to be dark.”

He smiled and pointed to the sky.

“Ooh! That’s a Burrie!” She watched in amazement as
the little blue being noticed her attention and landed before her
with a flutter of transparent wings. The Burrie was only as tall as
her waist, thin, and a stunning teal blue. Its only garments were a
tan loincloth and a belt that held a dagger on one hip and a small
pouch on the other. Its long black hair was pulled back into a high
ponytail.

It peered at her closely then jumped toward her.
“Boo!”

Heidi jumped into Tyler with a small scream, tripping
on her dress in the process. Tyler grabbed a hold of her arm and
managed to right her before she fell. The Burrie burst out
laughing, the high pitch shrill of it turning heads in their
direction. Tyler took four long strides toward it. It grinned, ran
away, and took to the air once again.

Heidi forgot her embarrassment as Tyler turned and
she saw his deep brown eyes dark with anger. A nervous shiver ran
through her. He took a deep breath and relaxed his jaw.

“Are you alright?” He growled low in his throat.
“Burries have a peculiar sense of humor.” He looked up to the
sky.

“Tyler.” She touched his arm lightly and he closed
his eyes. When he reopened them, the anger was gone.

“How’s your dress?”

She lifted the hem up enough so she could have a look
at it. “It’s fine.”

He took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers, and
started to walk again. She gave his hand a squeeze.

“So what do the Burries have to do with how we’re
going to see tonight?”

He smiled. “It will be better if you just see it for
yourself.”

They took the trail Tyler had taken the day he’d
needed to run. As they got to the top of the cliff, the ocean
appeared below them. Heidi smiled at the reflection of the moons in
the dark water. She hiked her dress up and made her way down the
steep trail that led to the beach below. She gazed around, amazed
at the transformation that had occurred. At the far end of the
beach, along the foot of the cliff, booths and stands had been set
up and many of the beings already here were ordering food and
drinks from the vendors. At the other end, tall poles had been
staked into the ground. Lines of some sort had been hung from one
pole to another.

Tyler led her to an area against the cliff between
the vendors and the poles. He leaned back against a large rock and
stood Heidi in front of him.

“Just watch the Burries. I’ve only seen this once
when I was eleven.”

Heidi looked back at him. “I thought only beings that
were of age could attend.”

He grinned. “I didn’t say I was there with my
parents’ consent. Trent and I snuck out of the house and hid in the
woods so we could watch the show. It was Wellfore in Sageden.” His
smile slipped slightly at the thought of his brother. “Anyhow, just
watch.”