Ancient Kings (The Young Ancients) (54 page)

"So, I need to get back to the school and set things up. You know, I'm not doing this taking it easy thing well at all, am I? Oh..." He went to his floating chest, which no one had checked on the way in, counting on his Truth testing instead and got out half the floating chests that were left and piled them on a side table. Next to them there was a pile of magical clothing.

"In case people ever show up and don't have the right things for dinner or what have you. This way they won't be uncomfortable. Unless borrowing something from me makes them that way. Do you know what most of the Counts think of me? Even the ones on your side are either afraid of me or think I'm a blowhard that has more power than I should be allowed. Nothing we can do about it, but you'd think that at least a few of them would be alright with me, don't you?" He managed to sound conversational, instead of downcast about it, even though he felt that way.

It wasn't true anyway. His friends weren't like that. Not even the Counts and Countesses. That was just the ones that didn't really know him.

"Now, unless there's something I have to do, I need to get back and work out how to juggle everything. I'll leave my communications device... No, you know what? Just get with Kolb if you need anything. He can make the arrangements for you and all that. I'm pretty sure the Lairdgren Group hasn't cut you off yet. You might send a note or whatever it is people do in situations like this. Point out that beating up people in the street for fun isn't supposedly part of the City Guard charter."

"I'll do that, Counselor Baker. I was wondering if..." The man actually blushed and the Queen did too, realizing what would be coming. "I know that we have no right to ask, but, those funds you offered yesterday... It would benefit the land if they were still available."

He made a pained face but didn't leave them wondering what the actual situation was.

"Get with Alphonse. If he and Counselor Johansson feel it's a good idea, then I'll back them." It came out a little more stern than he meant it too, but that was all he could muster on the topic. "Also, if you see the Commander of the City Guard, this is twice that Captain Curtis did something like this that's come to my attention. Please ask the man if that's how he wants people to think of the Capital City Guard. I know that, at this point, I'm tempted to move away from here myself. I'm certain others might feel the same." True, they'd be workmen and such, but if the Lairdgren Group wasn't safe, or Tor, who was?

The giant redhead frowned but waved him away, cringing again when he realized how high handed it would seem. That one was fair though. The man was annoyed by his words,
and
the King. It was in his Palace and everything too. If he didn't want a pesky bumpkin in his presence that was certainly within his rights.

Tor just left, making sure he wasn't angry or annoyed himself. It took some work, but Doris had been right on that one. Meditation was useful for that kind of thing.

Getting out of the place was hard and took the better part of an hour. They made him wait so that he could dash out from under the shield as they let it down so that Counselor Smythe could come in, along with General Thorgas. The men were busy running, so couldn't say much, but there was a
look
from Smythe. It didn't seem pleased at all.

In passing Tor picked up why. He'd stolen all those potential cooks away from him, sending them off to Lairdgren, where it would be a lot harder to get at them. If they wanted to work with the military though, they could. No one would stop them. Well, except possibly their parents, friends and instructors. The last time there was a war the school very nearly shut down... This time...

He'd prevent that from happening. It was an odd idea, but one already started. They'd become their own force, going when needed and attending school the rest of the time. It might be a little short on personal glory... But then again, maybe not. The Songbirds had helped save the Capital and they weren't even fighters. The kids that would normally have run off for that kind of work all had claim to real glory in the battle, for what that was worth, didn't they? He could sweeten the pot and get the Count to make it all a little more official somehow.

Probably though ceremony and lying. That would work for some of them at least.

Tor did something that he hadn't really done much of at all, after setting up his Fast Carriage in the street and rising, carefully, about five hundred feet straight up, the lightly shining vehicle the only thing in the sky at the moment. He went a few hundred miles north, almost over a large city that was nearly the same size as the Capital and called his grandfather. He didn't expect an answer really, figuring that the communications device at Lairdgren would be tucked away in the man's basement or something.

After less than a minute, a voice came though.

"This is Count Lairdgren's residence, he's not in at the moment, may I take a message for you?" The voice was sort of familiar, after a fashion. His cousin Barbara. They'd met a few times now.

"Hi! This is Tor. I need to speak with the Count, is that possible? I can come there for it. Or go to wherever he is."

"Oh, hello Torrance. Sure, I can make some extra roast fowl for dinner, say in an hour? I had a feeling someone would be visiting. It's just a plain meal, but I think it will serve. Don't be late. Should I tell him to expect you, or is this an ambush?" There was a sly tone to her voice, but she was a fun, and unusual, woman. Too old to be alone though and playing servant like she was. If she waited much longer her looks would fade too much for her to get a good husband. Or girlfriend. Tor didn't know, but he thought she might be more interested in that later one. If that was the case, she might do better to move. He hadn't been in Grenwyn a lot, but if it was anything like Two Bends that kind of relationship wouldn't be allowed.

"Just a talk. Maybe with some implied scorn, but he'll live. See you then."

"Hey, can you pick up a golden wine? Or do you need the whole time to travel. I don't know where you are."

Tor blinked, but he did know where he was. The rather thriving city below him was made of black focus stone, but had lights all over the place, even in the twilight. The original inner wall and his little hut were still there. He hadn't been back to it since the military kicked him out, years ago. Supposedly it was still his. He owned the land at least.

"Over one of my houses. I don't know if I can get wine though. I don't really drink it, but maybe I can buy some." It sounded very strange and Barbara wasn't the kind to let that sort of thing go.

"At your own house?"

"Well, I haven't been here for a while, but it seems to have become a city. There might be a shop?"

The woman laughed, but let him go, so he floated over the place slowly and settled down in front of his old little hut. There was a deep red cloth with a black crest on it over the door, a thing that he didn't recognize at all. If it was a noble thing he'd missed it in school. He got out of the vehicle fast, and just turned his shield on, ready for the military men there to come and attack him. It had happened before after all. Instead he was met by a collection of about five youngsters, all about twelve or thirteen. A girl who wore the same gray outfit they all did stepped forward and curtsied very properly, which got the rest of them to either do the same, or bow.

Holding his face very serious, so as to not offend the small dark haired people, who seemed to have impeccable manners so far, he bowed back and waited for one of them to talk.

Her Noram standard was passable. Merchant accent, laid over some kind of country speech. It was hard to tell where she was from though. The north, he thought.

"Good evening milord. I am Mardy. This place be... is, Wildlands Station. Have you us come to visit?"

"Hello Mardy. Everyone. I'm Tor. This isn't really so much a visit, I'm going to my grandfather's house for dinner and I was asked to see if I could get some golden wine. Which of course I'll have to trade for, since I don't have any coin with me.
That's
embarrassing, isn't it?"

The girl smiled at him and nodded a bit but her words gave the lie to that one.

"We have a store, sir. What have for trade? Wine is spenive." She made a face. "Splenive?" The others all looked baffled too.

"
Expensive
." Tor took down the Carriage, getting a low gasp and then collected his floating chest, the amulet for it on a string, resting on the top of the case. "I have some devices. Magical clothing and more of these floating chests. That's about it. Well, might as well ask. I have a time schedule. This is a Fast Carriage, but that doesn't mean instant, and Grenwyn is a ways off." The kids stood for a bit, just looking at the chest, but the girl gestured, awkwardly but it was a courtly movement, meaning someone was teaching her. Likely the others as well.

Then they all walked away, so he followed them, hoping it would work. If not he was going to have to go empty handed. That would be impolite, but not as bad as not showing up at all.

It was a bit of a trip to get to the little shop and the place wasn't physically large, but the crest on the door was the same as the one on the little hut.

"Say, what's this?"

Mardy looked at it and asked the group with her, a boy that had slightly lighter hair tapped it with a single finger and explained.

"T'be'en der cres o' twizar." He wasn't talking directly to Tor, but the words were clear enough, even if the accent was a bit thick still.

"Oh... I see, this loop is to represent a flying river, and this is the sigil on the flying rigs. This..." It was clear, and even made some sense, to
him
, but he hadn't thought it would to anyone else. "Is a loaf of bread in front of an oven. Very nice!" Especially since he hadn't been aware he had a crest at all.

The boy stared at him, but nodded.

"Ya'ken?"

"Sure. You said that this was the crest of the Wizard. What's not to understand? Do we knock or just go in?"

Mardy answered that for him by turning the focus stone handle and opening it, then looking at his arm as if it might be diseased, pulled him inside. She was just afraid that he'd be mad at someone like her touching him though, which was silly.

The woman behind the counter was older, had silver hair and a sour look on her face.

"This isn't the time to be coming in for sweets, you little scamps..." She wasn't big, shorter than Tor was even, but spoke like a person from County Ford. They kept to decently strict Noram standard there.

"Hello! I'm not looking for sweets, I need a single bottle of golden wine. I can trade a magical device for it. A floating case like this one? It can change size, shape and color and if you have the amulet it will follow you anywhere. That or some magical clothing? Have you heard of that?" It was possible she hadn't but the woman crossed her arms and shook her head at him.

"Oh? You want to trade mere magic for a bottle of my best wine? I'll have you know that a good bottle goes for nearly a gold. It doesn't pay to stock anything finer than that here. How much do these magics go for... A few measly hundred gold each? A
thousand
?" She smiled at him though and winked as if it were all a joke.

"About that. Here..." He pulled one out and handed it to her, had her turn it on, which got her covered with brown material that tried to cover her skirt, making the trousers look funny. Then he had her imagine different colors and fabric materials. By turning it into a dress she made it fit and then started imagining some fairly decent, if rather simple, patterns inside the material.

"So, a bottle of wine for it? I'd haggle more, but I'm short of time."

After a few moments, the woman went to the back and came out, wiping a rather dusty bottle with a yellow colored label on it. The glass was brown and there was a cork in it that looked well weathered. She handed the bottle to him and then tried to give the amulet back too.

"No, that's
yours
. A bargain is a bargain after all." He wasn't displeased, since he hadn't actually expected to find anything at all.

The lady in front of him sighed.

"I can't take your magic boy. It's worth more than I could ever trade for. Best to just lose the gold than have the wrath of a person with that kind of wealth angry at me for cheating them." She didn't seem happy about it, but resigned to the idea. The kids all nodded too, agreeing, at least in theory.

Mardy looked at him, up and down then shrugged.

"I'll suck your cock for it." It was a bold statement and no one looked shocked by it either.

Except, clearly,
him
.

"Sorry,
what
?"

The older woman at least looked disapproving after a bit and hunched her shoulders up.

"It's... Sometimes when the soldiers can't afford to pay the ladies in the back some of the boys and girls can trade things like that for goods. She doesn't mean to offend you, she doesn't realize the value of it. That's all."

Oh...

"I... see. Aren't you underage Mardy? How old are you?" He made his voice sweet, but his stomach had dropped out already and he felt like he was about to lose control of his bladder, even though he didn't have to go. Thankfully.

"Eleven, but I've done it lots. I'm really good, ask anyone. I s'pose you could take another hole. That's...
expensive
?"