"That would be interesting, Countess Ward. We should look into the idea." Then, almost as if claiming ownership she pulled her friend away with a slightly hard and glazed look to her eyes. It didn't seem to please Maria at all either.
At the door, the world outside just starting to turn black, they were met by Timon who took her arm himself and walked her to the corner of the large porch. He spoke in hushed tones and didn't bother with a preamble or explanation. He often didn't unless they had a lot of time, which lately hadn't been available.
"Watch Maria. She'll try to use you as a spy, I think. Marvin just wants to have sex with you, though he gets that you're doing courier duty. I have my own things to share soon, some bits of information you should know about, but I don't want to do it here. At school in the next few days? I need to get a schedule up to Judy anyway. Are you two getting along?"
She just looked at him for a second, taking in all the words and committing them to memory.
"Not really. She's still very angry at me. Most everyone is. I don't know what I can do toward fixing it that I haven't. Maybe I can't? I'll live." She didn't sound happy about it, but forced a smile and touched her cheek on the right side, which was still sore.
"I had to get a Royal Guard to do it. George?"
Oddly he raised his chin then.
"I figured it was him. Good man to get to know. He's pretty much in charge of the Royal Guard, not that they need a lot of oversight. Anyway... Don't tell anyone what you're doing. Derring and your Instructor Kolbrin, the Headmaster of your school, but no one else unless one of them orders it. Even at that, check them with a Truth amulet first." He didn't wait, just handing her one, the glowing pink thing on white focus stone marking it as one of Tor's. "Just in case it comes up. When in doubt use it. It's easier to bump your head against the floor in apology than to undo a betrayal."
There was a dark look on his face, but he hid it quickly, with a hug that really wasn't one, more of a simple leaning in and pat on the either shoulder.
"A few days. Be careful." That warning spoken in a normal voice, he walked away, back into the palace behind them.
They left then, no one speaking for a long time, the four girls that had come originally the only ones with them. She piloted, Karen in the back with Regina for some reason, Farlo watching her closely.
"Did you offer to take my grandparents around to try and get on my good side?" The words didn't seem harsh at all, just questioning.
Tiera shook her head slightly though, smiling.
"No. Your grandmother... she offered to hide me from the Count, if I needed it. I don't, but it was... If she needs anything and I have it, it's hers, that's all. I'll have to come up with something else to get on your good side. Do you like muffins? I make a great apple spice version." She really did, but for some reason the girl next to her made a face.
"Not after someone already spit in your food. The idea is out there, I don't want to push my luck."
That got a gasp from the back seat, Regina sounding like she hadn't known. "That's disgusting! Who would do that?"
Tiera shrugged.
"Honestly? I have no clue. Some first year, and he was a boy, other than that I don't know. Not one of the ones I wronged. A friend of one of them perhaps? It really was gross. I won't eat in the dining hall now, but I can assure you Farlo, I'd never do that.
Ever
. I might yell at you, or even try to hit you, but that... I was raised baking. My mother would be short a child if any of us even thought about doing that. I'd thought I was being poisoned because of that you know. It didn't even occur to me that anyone would be so...
crude
."
Karen made a sound that seemed pensive for some reason, speaking a few seconds later, as if measuring her words.
"The boy, he's already been beaten for it twice. My brother Jerral did one of them. Tor is a friend of his, so the kid going after his sister didn't go over well. Davie had to pull him off and get the weapons section healing amulet. Oh, by the way, Farlo, Kolb wants me to thank Guide for that again. It's an incredible help to us. It means no lay-offs for minor injuries. That sounds like a small thing, but it isn't. We normally have about ten percent of our people down for one reason or another, now we're finally at full force."
It was a big help, Tiera knew. She didn't think she'd be able to handle the training without it. "Does he like muffins? Or other baked goods. I can do just about anything. It will take a kitchen, but I bet I can borrow Ali's."
Farlo didn't know, but Regina wasn't going to be deterred from the original topic that easily it seemed.
"Who else beat that boy?"
That got a snort, but Farlo knew the answer for some reason and grimaced about it.
"Well, the kid is a noble, a Baron, if not high ranked. Baron twenty-odd. Gala I think. Anyway, Judith did it. Beat him bloody and made him apologize to everyone in the dining room on his knees. Then she healed him, which worked well enough, since it got rid of his lung infection. That was just for being so gross though, not because he targeted you. Almost no one is willing to eat in there now, except those that have to. I heard that the cook took after him too and banned him from the duty. Threatened to quit if he was put back there. He has to scrub the commons everyday for a month instead."
It was kind of nice to hear. Not that the boy had been beaten, that hurt enough she didn't really want it for anyone if it wasn't really needed, but that someone had seen to it. Two someones it seemed.
She needed to get right to dropping the messages off, but the other girls wanted to stay and chat for a bit, until Farlo announced that she had a build to work on the next day and gave Tiera a small bow. Regina got a hug though, so it wasn't saying that everything was totally right between them, not yet, but it wasn't a slap in the face or harsh words, so she decided to take it.
Regina... Kissed her in parting. It was a real one too, a gentle nibbling of her lower lip while her tongue tickle her. Karen had a blank look on her face and Farlo waved and walked away, smiling a bit. Then her old roommate sighed.
"Can you come to my room? They haven't put anyone else in with me yet, so we'll have it to ourselves."
Tiera didn't know how to get out of it gracefully, but Karen did it for her, stepping forward.
"Not tonight. She has lessons in the morning, and review tonight before we turn in. That's going to be the norm for a while too, so if you two want alone time, I suggest you make plans for before dinner." There was a practical sound to her words, as if it were an actual suggestion.
It got a little giggle from Reggie, who kissed her again and left, not having said anything else.
They walked back to the room, with Karen having her recite the book that she'd read the night before to her, asking questions to show that she actually understood what it all meant. It might have been part of a cover story, but she corrected her several times anyway, then explained the text in great detail.
Once in the room that changed though, as did her clothing. It became black canvas then.
"We need to wait for true dark, even if it seems like wasted time. I doubt we have watchers, not yet, but this place is full of spies. Figure that of ten people you meet here, two are working for someone or another. I mean, look at us. That's two right there."
Tiera nearly denied it, and then stopped, realizing it was true. She hadn't really known about Karen, but there were probably a lot of people she worked for. Her Countess, Sir Kolbrin, the King... Who knew how many others? It wasn't a pleasant thing to think about, but it was something she needed to be aware of now.
Twenty-five minutes later they turned the light off and left, hugging the shadows, until they got to the woods behind the school. The Fast Craft was re-colored to be the same as the night sky, and they left by going straight up first and then setting out on their journey. They had a lot of stops, and some of them weren't going to work at all. Count Holden was already in the Capital for instance and Countess York wouldn't see them at all. Tiera didn't know if she could just leave the letter with anyone, so refused to do it, which made the man at the door very angry with her. He rather coldly asked them to leave.
Karen slept in the back for most of the trip, not even waking to go in with her for some of the safer ones. That was fine for almost all of them. Near the end, on the return trip she ran into a very strange problem that she hadn't even really imagined. It was when she got to County Breen, the Count had to be awakened to meet with her and he came out in his night clothing, which was a loose white gown and a strange cloth hat. He looked ridiculous, his bare feet sticking out the bottom, a candle in his hand, but he invited her in easily enough and called for a drink.
The man was large, about eight feet tall, plus a bit, but he seemed happy enough to see her. A fact that showed on the front of his loose gown rather plainly. She wasn't knowledgeable on the topic from firsthand experience, but she had brothers, she got what
that
meant. Except they had always tried to hide the fact. This man saw where she was looking and smiled at her.
"Early mornings can do that to a man. An attractive woman coming at night can too. Is that why you came? A present for me perhaps? If so I can't imagine who'd send someone. They have good taste though. You're darling."
Tiera grinned a bit, trying not to seem mean about things.
"Um, messenger. Tiera Baker. Conserina, if that will let me leave with my virtue intact. Sent by the King, just to deliver this to you." She held out the last envelope she'd be able to get rid of and the man broke it open, reading it quickly, gesturing for her to take the wine that was delivered. She couldn't really drink it, but she sipped a bit. It wasn't good really, but it left her feeling very adult.
"Understood." He got up, put the missive in his fireplace and burned it with the candle. "Tiera Baker. Do you know a Timon Baker? Most amazing fellow. My people and I owe him a great debt. He found that we didn't have enough food for my army on the front lines a few weeks ago and he took it upon himself to see that they were fed. Out of his own pocket too. He said it was from Two Bends, which shows great humility, I think." He sat back down and waited for her answer, still clearly happy to have her company.
"My younger brother. I'll let him know that you spoke so highly of him. I have to be running soon. I don't mean to be rude, but I have to start fighting practice at dawn."
The man blew out a gust of air then and laughed a little.
"Well,
that's
never a good sign, when a woman says she has to leave to hit things with a sword. Well, we just met, perhaps next time we could do a bit more?" He glanced down at his lap then, which was still in the same state as when he walked in. "I wouldn't want your brother to think I was taking advantage of you, but you really are very pretty. Industrious as well it seems and capable, or you wouldn't have such an important position." He was older than she was, perhaps near forty or so, but looked strong and had a nice mustache. It was dark, at least in this light. "Say, you aren't married yet, are you? I'm a widower. We aren't related, so that might be a good thing to suggest to your mother."
She went still for a seconds and then nodded.
"That would be... very nice, really. Have a letter off to Two Bends, to Laurali and it will get to the right place."
She got up to leave, feeling a little flattered and a lot scared. She'd never really been alone with a man like that before. Not one that clearly wanted her.
"Um..." She paused at the door and then took a step back toward him. Her chest felt funny, like she couldn't breathe and her stomach nearly cramped but she managed to take a whole breath and carry on. "I really do have to hurry right now, I wasn't kidding about that, but... If you don't mind telling me what to do, I can... you know, with my hands?"
The man smiled at her and sat back down, lifting the hem of his night shirt.
"We can do that."
When he climbed into the Fast Transport about fifteen minutes later Karen was awake and made a tired sound. "Morning. That took a bit. Everything go alright?"
She nodded, not wanting to be indiscreet, but really wanting to talk about it all too. She described what had happened, if not in great detail, expecting the other woman to yell at her for wasting time, but instead she yawned.
"Oh? Good. He's a decent fellow too. He's a Count, so he could have
ordered
you to do it and you would have had to, at least here. He didn't do anything until you offered though and then kept it to that? You should definitely pursue the man then. Even if you don't want to marry him. Mind If I take a crack at him too? We aren't related. I hadn't heard that his wife had passed. I should send him a note at any rate."
Tiera smiled and felt both adult and like she was a little girl doing something naughty behind the school building.
"He seemed lonely. I bet it would be welcome if you paid him a visit. I certainly have no problem with it. I wasn't planning on marrying yet." She had forever after all.
They didn't talk about a lot after that, since Karen fell back to sleep, snoring, until they got to the woods. It was nearly daylight, so Tiera got on the path and started running instantly, doing nearly three laps, so that she'd end up in the training square. She was tired, but it wasn't brutal yet. Really she was kind of excited by what had happened still.