Otto walks slowly back to his seat and looks thoughtful.
"Hmmmm...no no not that...not even that," he mumbles. "Not really. Except maybe one thing. I'm afraid of losing cynath." Otto sits down and takes a sip of the soup
Goddard chuckles. "You don't read them all. And a lot of them aren't in reikspeil. But at least you can find something other than a cook book to read."
"I don't know," Otto says looking around the room. "I have an awful lot of stuff here. Maybe you want to read the Gotrek and Felix books? Those are just interesting and I have multiple copies."
Goddard finishes his soup and moves around the room. Even though it's fairly dark and everything looks like a huge disorganized mess, Goddard plucks four books from off the shelves without even making sure he picked the right ones.
He then moves to an extremely cluttered desk and picks up a metal object and puts that on the stack of books.
"Here are the books, lecai," he smiles. "And my old ink well." It's a small metal inkwell that has purple stones set into it.
Aara nods and looks sheepishly up at Otto. "I'm sorry, ustadh, I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm not used to anyone giving me things just because they can. Even Koroush and Rayya had reasons behind their gifts."
Otto smiles and then moves back to the table he was working at. "You two should get some sleep. You'll want to be well rested when you go to that crazy zoo."
Aara sits straight up, a scream locked in her throat. It's over, she tells herself. Just a dream. You aren't a child anymore, and that happened a long time ago. She looks down at Goddard, muttering in his sleep about bats. Looking around, she remembers that she's at the college, but doesn't see Otto anywhere.
It must be near dawn. Slipping out of bed, she dresses quickly and braids her hair before grabbing her swords. With another glance at Goddard, she heads back to the room he and Otto had sparred in. After a few stretches, she settles into the familiar routine.
Aara spots something bright white from the corner of her eye. It moves quickly and then seems to disappear. When Aara looks around her, she sees nothing.
"Will you leave her alone?" Otto says sounding a bit annoyed. "Sethai, do not pick up any bad habits from Arha!" It's as if he just appeared in the room. Aara hadn't noticed when he walked in.
It's quiet for a moment and then Otto says something which Aara can only assume to be curses and stomps down onto where Arha is sitting. The dragon hops quickly to the side and the shadow disappears.
Aara flinches when he stomps on the creature. "Don't curse him, ustadh," she asks softly. "I can't really blame the creature. I'd be jealous of someone else taking up all his time, too."
Otto stares at Aara, shocked. "What? He tried to actually learn how to swim? Do you know what kind of hell it was to get him to just walk along the beach?"
She frowns, remembering how relaxed Goddard had been on the beach. "He was fine on the beach in Araby- a little leery, but nothing unusual- and he laid down at the edge of the water. Granted, he was more nervous when we went swimming and I pulled him to the deep end, but he did well." She pauses. "If we were to go overboard, I think he'd be able to at least stay above water till I got to him."
Otto frowns and looks down at the floor. "He's right. You are something special...for a human..."
Goddard steps sleepily into the doorway. "Arha said you tried to step on him? I don't care that you tried to stomp him...but I do care that he basically burst into my mind screaming 'abuse' and woke me up..."
"Come on cynath," Otto walks up to Goddard. "She was busy doing...something. You can wash up, I'll make breakfast, then you two can go see your animals."
Otto begins making a rather large breakfast with such a small kitchen. He also had somehow managed to clear one of the tables of all the stuff that was on it so that the three would have a place to eat.
Goddard is in a room off to the side. He sinks into a tub full of hot water and closes his eyes. I don't even care if I fall asleep...
Katarina scrunches her face as rays of sunlight peek through the window shutters and find her eyes. Rolling over, she opens her eyes and looks around the small room at the inn. Might as well get yourself going, Kasha. You can't put this off any longer.
Standing, she stretches then reaches for the pitcher and bowl on her dresser. Washing her face, she tidies her hair back into a braid before assembling her outfit. Using the water for reflection she frowns at the image. There are faint dark circles under her eyes from restless nightmares and little sleep. Where is that girl that rode South four months ago?
Tucking parchments, quill, and an ink pot into her bag; she straps Tannin's sword onto her back. Adjusting the leather tricorn on her head, she heads downstairs. The sound of loud snoring comes from the tavern area of the inn. Looking in, she sees her ogre compatriot snoring along with seven men at the same long table.
She smiles a little seeing the obvious remains of a drinking contest. Hope you bet on yourself and won big.
Heading out the door, she retrieves Anya from the stable and rides to the large cemetery. Tying the horse to the post out front, Katarina looks around. She sees a large tower over looking the graveyard and watches the Amethyst wind swirl about it. Shaking her head, she moves into the gardens and begins to examine some of the grave markers and monuments for ideas.
Aara returns, sweating in spite of the cold corridors. After putting away her weapons and fishing out some clean clothes, she heads for the bathing room. Finding Goddard with eyes closed and head back, she leans against the doorway. I know he isn't asleep, he just isn't listening for anyone.
Moving closer, the kicks the tub, making it ring softly. "Wake up, hayati," she says, "it's my turn."
Otto grits his teeth and turns away when he sees the large scar Goddard got from Tannin.
He's gotten a lot more...that one is the worst...
Goddard takes the towel and wraps it around his waist. "No. I was just really comfortable. I almost fell asleep," he laughs. "And I wasn't even worried about drowning."
Aara feels the same guilt she always does when she sees the scar. Biting her lower lip, she runs her fingers over it. "Damn that infidel," she mutters. "I should have known better than to let you go off with him."
She scowls. "And you didn't take me with you?" She sets off with a string of words in arabyan, pointing at his scar and smacking him lightly on the chest. After a minute, she calmly takes a deep breath and grabs his ears. "Next time you see something like that, you tell me."
She throws his wet washcloth at him as he walks off. "That wasn't an answer," she says as he closes the door behind him. "Majdoube sihr," she mutters, preparing her bath.
Katarina grimaces at the monument an Inquisitor. "There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt" she reads quietly.
Well, that's comforting! Especially from the judge, jury, and executioner.
Moving farther along, she pulls back some ivy on a statue of a man in armor. "Only in death, does duty end." She nods appreciably in thought. "Definitely the axiom of a devoted soldier. I hope you died well, Ser." she says giving the statue a salute.
Katarina wanders through the grounds for over an hour seeing all sorts of epitaphs, axioms, and farewells among the grave markers. She finds a stone bench to sit on and pauses there, looking at a large statue of a warrior in ancient style armor. "I wish I could speak to the real you one last time..." she says with a sigh.
"She's scary," Otto says setting some food on the table.
"I know," Goddard chuckles. He puts a hand to his chest and sighs. "Part of me was so scared. Not to die, but that he would get away and hurt everyone. And it would have been my fault..I had suggested we let him live."
"I fought with all I had until everything started to go black. I couldn't think of doing anything else other than fighting..."
"That's kind of what druchii do," Otto says as he carefully moves a pot of coffee to the table.
Aara continues to mutter to herself until she's washed her hair and it's started to dry. She doesn't like talking about what happened with Tannin and Goddard. It scared her so badly to see him lying there covered in blood and pale. When her fingers and toes are wrinkled, she starts to dress.
"Rayya, you sent too many clothes," she mutters, dressing in a simple white blouse, sapphire silk skirt, and black corset. Using a dagger as a mirror, she rims her eyes with black khol and runs jasmine oil through her hair, letting it curl behind her. Opening the door, she can smell breakfast on the air.
"It smells wonderful, ustadh," she says as she walks over to the table.
"And it was all my doing," Otto says pointing to Goddard. He's laying on Otto's bed, reading a book.
"You were practically done," Goddard grumbles, still trying to read.
Otto sighs and sits down at the table. "Come on and eat. You have plenty of time to read books. You have today to take this beautiful jewel to your silly zoo."
Aara blushes a little when he calls her a jewel. "I can tell it's your cooking just by the smell," she tells Otto, taking a seat and pouring herself a cup of coffee. Picking up a boiled egg, she peels it deftly and sprinkles it with salt.
She stuffs her half-eaten egg in his mouth, crumbling most of it down his front. "It just smells differently," she says diplomatically, peeling a second egg.
"Nonsense, I know how to use a broom," she tells him, sticking her tongue out. "Ustadh," she says, turning to Otto, "just tell me where a broom is and I'll take care of it."
Aara stands, edging her way around Goddard with a grin. "If I don't come back, ustadh, write to the sultan and tell him I've gone missing because of an egg," she laughs, retrieving her cloak.
"We don't need that anymore," he grins and puts his arm around her and pulls her close.
He has his scythe in the other hand, thinking maybe it will scare people away, reminding them he's an amethyst wizard. It works, and they get to the zoo quickly and without an issues. They even get to see the animals better because the crowds around the cages move as well.
"I wasn't paying attention," he says moving past the animals they had already seen the first time around. "I was too busy standing behind you, watching you walk."
She laughs. "No you weren't. You were too busy staring at food and wiping the drool off your chin."
She squeals and runs ahead when she sees a giant brown animal with enormous antlers. Slipping through the crowd, she carefully reads the plaque and laughs. "Nuur'eni, look!" she shouts, leaning against the fence.
"It's huge," she tells him. "Much bigger than I thought it would be." She looks up at him and grins. "Katarina was right, it does have a big ugly nose."
"Don't pout," she whispers. "Your face looks very fine without it." When it snorts at her, she makes a gagging sound, waving her hand in front of her face.
"Nuur'eni..." she whispers, eyes wide. People are still giving Goddard wary looks and moving aside for him. "Is that what I think it is?" she asks as they get closer.
"What do you think it is?" he chuckles. "Oh and here is the little plaque for you to read." The horse gets close enough so that if Aara wanted to pet it, or even hug it's head, she could.
She ignores the plaque and reaches out to the creature. "I've never seen a pegasus," she says, laughing softly when it nudges her hand. She steps closer, running her hands over the horses face and scratching behind its ears.
Aara hears a screech behind her. The sound came from a double headed griffon in a large cage with a fence around it to keep people from getting to close.
There is a sign that has an image painted on it...the two headed griffon and a small headless human. Underneath the image are written the words "CAUTION: WILL BITE".
She flinches and turns around. Seeing the griffon, she grabs Goddard's hand and drags him over to the cage, stopping a good distance from the fence. "What keeps them from flying off?" she asks, standing closer to him than necessary.
She notices a woman scowling at her and returns her dirty look, putting an arm around his waist. Even I didn't get the looks he does- and I actually kill people.
"Some chains on the griffons. The pegasus are smart and content to stay on the ground but I think it's mostly Deathclaw. I'm sure they see his shadow fall over them often and know if they go into the sky, they may end up a meal."
He points to another griffon except it isn't in a closed cage and it doesn't have wings. It still has the small fence and a similar sign. "That's a demi-griffon."
She nods as they walk on, still shooting dirty looks to the woman when Goddard isn't looking. When she's out of sight, Aara grins and pulls him close. "What's next?"
The next animal Aara sees is very strange. It has three heads. A lion, a goat, and a dragon and it's tail is a snake. It roars and lunges at the bars of the cage. People who walk by scream and run.
Aara instead walks right up to the fence surrounding the cage, curious. Why are they running? It's not as if it can reach us from here.
She looks down, trying to sound out the word on the plaque in front of her. "Ch- Chim-" She pauses, rolling the unfamiliar word around. "Chim-era?" she asks, looking over her shoulder at Goddard and pronouncing it as incorrectly as humanly possible.
"Oh, I like this part. Porcupines and tigers are all well and good, but this is true magic." She shudders delightfully when Deathclaw flies over them again. "What keeps him from eating everything here?"
"He's really smart," Goddard says looking up. "He's goes back to the castle at night and flies around during the day.
Aara spots two familiar animals. There is a nauglir not too far from her and a manticore except this one has the face of a man and it's tail is barbed, looking very similar to a porcupine.
The nauglir stares at Aara and then leaps at the bars. Goddard yells at it and the creature backs away snarling. "Stupid lizard," Goddard chuckles. "And you," Goddard turns to the manticore. "You are much less scary than the one I've met in the wild."
When it leaps at the bars, she just stands there, staring at it as people around her shriek or jump. She shrugs, and turns to look at the manticore. "It's smaller, too," she adds.
Katarina shifts uncomfortably, trying to replicate the position Aara uses for her meditations. "This is just uncomfortable. But maybe that's the point, bypassing distraction or something. Bah! Who am I kidding? I can't concentrate any better here than I could at the inn."
"So you're giving up, then?" a familiar voice says from behind her.
Turning suddenly, she loses her balance and falls off the bench. Looking up at the speaker, her eyes grow wide as she sees Tannin standing there in full armor.
"How?! You're... you're... and Goddard said..." she stammers.
"Dead? Yes. Then undead and then dead again too. Don't worry, I'm not a ghost, a vampire or something else. Besides you'd have fainted by now if I was any of those, Lady Katarina. You don't have the best track record there." Tannin says with a laugh and broad grin.
Katarina blushes recalling the cathedral in Sylvania. "So if you aren't alive, undead, or a ghost, then what are you? Can I touch you?"
Tannin seems to weigh the answer. "Yes, you can touch me; but my being here right now changes nothing. I'm here to tell you to let go of this burden. You didn't kill me. That rat bastard with the jezail did that. While that traitorous grail did the rest of the work, you couldn't have known what would happen."
Tears begin to well in her eyes. "But now, everything is gone. I wish we had never met."
"While my life was cut short, Katarina. It's not your fault. And think about it. One of us would have still been on this journey, but what happened happened. There's no point in wishing to change that. You bled to save me, no one else even tried. But you can give me something greater than life now."
The Bretonnian knight gently picks up the Kislevarian witch and looks down into her eyes. "Tell my story as your heart remembers it. For as long as someone is remembered, they can never truly be dead. My people want to always be remembered for their deeds recalled in song and story. But only those who were with me know them. Share them so others can."
Katarina hugs him and steps back sniffing. "So you're just his memory then? Curse my feeble mind that I should bear such insanity."
Tannin flashes her that smile again. "You remembered the best parts though, but yes, just a memory. And don't worry, you're not going crazy. I'm just a memory and this is only a dream."
Katarina's eyes snap open and she looks around her at the empty graveyard. Struggling out of the meditation position, she smiles a little. Aara has something there. It did help me focus. Though there's no way I am sitting like that again. I think one of my knees fell asleep.
Pulling out the parchment and quill, she nods as the words form in her head.
Goddard turns around and smiles. "Look lecai. Never mind these horrible creatures. You'll like this one."
It's another white horse. It's mane and tail and much longer than that of a typical horse and it has slight feathering around it's hooves. What makes it really amazing is the swirled horn in the middle of its forehead.
She gasps softly, tears springing into her eyes as she stares. "How sad that she's here," she says softly, getting as close to the fence as the crowd will let her. "Unicorns aren't supposed to be caged and held. Tannin told me they live in magical forests, and only come to the innocent and pure of heart."
Goddard puts his hands behind his back and looks down.
Idiot...you made her cry! Oh look at the unicorn...idiot...
"It's as caged as the pegasus," he whispers moving close to Aara. Everyone that was in her way moves quickly and she can lean right against the fence. "It's not a closed cage and there are no chains. They stay here for whatever reason."
The unicorn walks toward Aara, still keeping a distance, and looks at her.
She commits yet another word to memory, her eyes still on the unicorn. She can hear whispers exploding around them at her close proximity to him, many of them pitying her as the women had the night before. Others are scornful, and her bodyguards ear catches and discards them as non threatening.
"Is it going to be like this everywhere?" she whispers, chuckling. "It's like we're walking around with three arms or two heads."
"Everywhere in the Empire, yes. But it doesn't matter to me. I'm used to it. Is this worse than in Araby for you?"
They walk to see some more strange animals. Great lizards with leathery wings called terradons and even bigger lizards with three spikes on their face and a crest with even more spikes called a stegadon. "These are creatures from Lustria, where the Lizardmen live."
"It just amazes me that they pity me so much," she laughs, "as though I have no choice in the matter. If they knew what I was, they might not be so surprised." As he shows her more animals, she oohs and ahhs in all the right places, far more focused on the people around them.
She gapes. "Sweet Uzzaya, just look at it. It's enormous," she murmurs in Arabyan. She starts to move forward as if to touch it's cage before Goddard pulls her back.
Suddenly it makes a sound so loud Aara can feel it in the stone beneath her feet. "Definitely this part of the zoo," she says excitedly. "I'm glad Ibben isn't- Ibben! I left him with the ogre! I have to go pay him so he doesn't eat my monkey!"
She finds Ibben curled up on the ogre's head, both asleep in the common room. "Looks like he had an eventful night," she whispers, gathering up her pet and tossing a small pouch under Zorgrats arm.
Reunited with Aara, Ibben chatters happily and moves from one shoulder to the other, looking in her ears and combing through her hair.
"It's not so bad," she says as Ibben attaches himself across her chest with his arms around her neck. "I think Koroush bought him so I wouldn't be lonely." Clipping his leash to the harness in his vest, she nuzzles his head with her cheek.
She smiles. "In a way, I guess it did. But you've helped with that more than Ibben. I never knew how long we would be around any one person, it made it useless to try and make friends till we fell in with all you." Ibben returns to her shoulder and leans toward Goddard, sniffing him.
"I'll do everything in my power to keep that from happening," she tells him.
ReplyDeleteGoddard looks at both of them quietly for a moment then smiles.
ReplyDelete"Oh, Goddard, we've been so busy I haven't read in days!" she realizes, frowning. "You don't think I'll fall behind, do you?"
ReplyDelete"You'll be fine. And look...you have a million different books to read," Goddard chuckles.
ReplyDeleteAara looks around. "A million books to read...that's not intimidating at all."
ReplyDeleteGoddard chuckles. "You don't read them all. And a lot of them aren't in reikspeil. But at least you can find something other than a cook book to read."
ReplyDelete"Like what? I doubt you have anything concerning my trade skills," she laughs.
ReplyDelete"I don't know," Otto says looking around the room. "I have an awful lot of stuff here. Maybe you want to read the Gotrek and Felix books? Those are just interesting and I have multiple copies."
ReplyDeleteShe perks up instantly. "Really? Koroush wouldn't get them to read to me, he'd always read boring diplomatic nonsense out loud."
ReplyDeleteGoddard finishes his soup and moves around the room. Even though it's fairly dark and everything looks like a huge disorganized mess, Goddard plucks four books from off the shelves without even making sure he picked the right ones.
ReplyDeleteHe then moves to an extremely cluttered desk and picks up a metal object and puts that on the stack of books.
"Here are the books, lecai," he smiles. "And my old ink well." It's a small metal inkwell that has purple stones set into it.
"That's so pretty," she says, picking it up. After looking at it a moment, she satisfies her curiosity and opens the book on top of the stack.
ReplyDelete"Oh and here," Goddard darts back to the desk and hands Aara a blue feather when he returns. "You'll need this too."
ReplyDeleteAara stares at him. "Uh. Thank you, nuur'eni."
ReplyDeleteOtto chuckles. "You write with that."
ReplyDelete"I know what it's for, you old coot," she says, cutting her eyes at him. "I just don't know if I can write with it."
ReplyDeleteOtto looks a little surprised and leans back in the chair. "Sorry..."
ReplyDelete"You will. If I can properly swing a sword, you can write with anything."
She puts it in her left hand, feeling the weight of it. "It's so light. Not like a pen at all."
ReplyDelete"Oh and I'll find you an empty book to practice in too," Goddard says. "When we come back from the zoo."
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ReplyDeleteAara nods and looks sheepishly up at Otto. "I'm sorry, ustadh, I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm not used to anyone giving me things just because they can. Even Koroush and Rayya had reasons behind their gifts."
ReplyDelete"I was just worried that I had lost your favor," Otto chuckles. "I don't need an extra person trying to bite my head off. Cynath is enough."
ReplyDelete"And we don't need any of that. If someone else can put it to good use, then why not share? Is 'because you needed it' reason enough?"
With a bright smile, Aara jumps up and kisses his cheek. "You could never lose my favor, ustadh. I like you too much."
ReplyDeleteOtto smiles and then moves back to the table he was working at. "You two should get some sleep. You'll want to be well rested when you go to that crazy zoo."
ReplyDeleteAara nods. "Goodnight, Otto," she says, heading back to bed.
ReplyDelete"Bwael Isto," Goddard says to Otto as he too heads back to bed.
ReplyDelete"Bwael Isto," she mimics, curling up against him. "Goodnight?"
ReplyDeleteGoddard nods and pulls the cover up and yawns. "In druhir anyway."
ReplyDeleteAara sits straight up, a scream locked in her throat. It's over, she tells herself. Just a dream. You aren't a child anymore, and that happened a long time ago. She looks down at Goddard, muttering in his sleep about bats. Looking around, she remembers that she's at the college, but doesn't see Otto anywhere.
ReplyDeleteIt must be near dawn. Slipping out of bed, she dresses quickly and braids her hair before grabbing her swords. With another glance at Goddard, she heads back to the room he and Otto had sparred in. After a few stretches, she settles into the familiar routine.
Aara spots something bright white from the corner of her eye. It moves quickly and then seems to disappear. When Aara looks around her, she sees nothing.
ReplyDeleteWhat was that? Not stopping her movements, she glances around the room again, making sure there's no one inside.
ReplyDeleteGoddard mentioned ghosts...
She catches glimpses of darkness moving over the lit candles and across the windows and another flash of white.
ReplyDelete"What in Allaya's name..."
ReplyDeleteShe stops working and moves toward the windows. Nothing looks out of place, and there's nothing outside to cast a shadow.
She spots the shadow and the white all the way across the room and hears something almost like laughter.
ReplyDeleteSomeone is toying with me. But a dead someone or a live one?
ReplyDeleteShe raises an eyebrow and goes back to her routine, moving much faster than when she'd started.
"Will you leave her alone?" Otto says sounding a bit annoyed. "Sethai, do not pick up any bad habits from Arha!" It's as if he just appeared in the room. Aara hadn't noticed when he walked in.
ReplyDeleteWithout flinching, Aara smoothly moves into a defensive position, face blank. She blinks a few times when she sees Otto.
ReplyDelete"Otto. Good morning," she says, lowering her weapons. "How long have you been here?"
"Bwael Kre’tan," Otto says. "I know you're trying to learn what he speaks. That is good morning."
ReplyDelete"I was here long enough to catch these two pestering you," he crosses his arms. "Get over here! Both of you."
The small white dragon lands on the floor by Otto's feet and the all too familiar shadow bat, sits beside the dragon.
"Bwael Kre'tan," she repeats. "Bel'la dos."
ReplyDeleteWhen the two creatures show up at Otto's feet, she smiles at Arha. "Hello, little friend."
Arha turns his back to Aara and the tiny dragon seems to gasp.
ReplyDelete"Hmmm...I had no idea you were going to be such a rude little thing," Otto mumbles.
"It's my fault," she explains, sheathing her scimitars. "I monopolize Goddard's time. I think he's just waiting for me to die," she jokes.
ReplyDeleteIt's quiet for a moment and then Otto says something which Aara can only assume to be curses and stomps down onto where Arha is sitting. The dragon hops quickly to the side and the shadow disappears.
ReplyDelete"What an awful creature!" he grumbles.
Aara flinches when he stomps on the creature. "Don't curse him, ustadh," she asks softly. "I can't really blame the creature. I'd be jealous of someone else taking up all his time, too."
ReplyDelete"And I owe so much to Arha," she adds softly.
"You don't have to take any rude comments from him though," Otto sighs.
ReplyDeleteThe dragon lands on Aara's shoulder, makes a chirp sound and nuzzles her cheek. "Sethai has manners," Otto chuckles.
Aara smiles and strokes its head. "You're a lovely creature," she says. Looking back to Otto, she grins. "Why did you make his familiar a bat?"
ReplyDeleteOtto shrugs and smiles. "I knew it would bother him. But I also knew he would eventually grow to like it and maybe he'd get over that silly fear."
ReplyDeleteI should get Ibben today before the ogre eats him.
ReplyDelete"He does like it, he just won't admit it. He's changed a lot since we met. He even let me teach him to swim a little."
Otto stares at Aara, shocked. "What? He tried to actually learn how to swim? Do you know what kind of hell it was to get him to just walk along the beach?"
ReplyDeleteShe frowns, remembering how relaxed Goddard had been on the beach. "He was fine on the beach in Araby- a little leery, but nothing unusual- and he laid down at the edge of the water. Granted, he was more nervous when we went swimming and I pulled him to the deep end, but he did well." She pauses. "If we were to go overboard, I think he'd be able to at least stay above water till I got to him."
ReplyDeleteOtto frowns and looks down at the floor. "He's right. You are something special...for a human..."
ReplyDeleteGoddard steps sleepily into the doorway. "Arha said you tried to step on him? I don't care that you tried to stomp him...but I do care that he basically burst into my mind screaming 'abuse' and woke me up..."
"Bwael Kre'tan, nuur'eni," she says, laughing a little.
ReplyDelete"Bwa...hey...I don't think I've ever said that to you?" Goddard scratches his head.
ReplyDeleteShe grins. "I'm smarter than the average beat-stick?" she offers.
ReplyDeleteGoddard chuckles and yawns.
ReplyDelete"Come on cynath," Otto walks up to Goddard. "She was busy doing...something. You can wash up, I'll make breakfast, then you two can go see your animals."
"I won't be long," she tells them as they walk off, unsheathing her weapons again.
ReplyDeleteOtto begins making a rather large breakfast with such a small kitchen. He also had somehow managed to clear one of the tables of all the stuff that was on it so that the three would have a place to eat.
ReplyDeleteGoddard is in a room off to the side. He sinks into a tub full of hot water and closes his eyes. I don't even care if I fall asleep...
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ReplyDeleteKatarina scrunches her face as rays of sunlight peek through the window shutters and find her eyes. Rolling over, she opens her eyes and looks around the small room at the inn. Might as well get yourself going, Kasha. You can't put this off any longer.
ReplyDeleteStanding, she stretches then reaches for the pitcher and bowl on her dresser. Washing her face, she tidies her hair back into a braid before assembling her outfit. Using the water for reflection she frowns at the image. There are faint dark circles under her eyes from restless nightmares and little sleep. Where is that girl that rode South four months ago?
Tucking parchments, quill, and an ink pot into her bag; she straps Tannin's sword onto her back. Adjusting the leather tricorn on her head, she heads downstairs. The sound of loud snoring comes from the tavern area of the inn. Looking in, she sees her ogre compatriot snoring along with seven men at the same long table.
She smiles a little seeing the obvious remains of a drinking contest. Hope you bet on yourself and won big.
Heading out the door, she retrieves Anya from the stable and rides to the large cemetery. Tying the horse to the post out front, Katarina looks around. She sees a large tower over looking the graveyard and watches the Amethyst wind swirl about it. Shaking her head, she moves into the gardens and begins to examine some of the grave markers and monuments for ideas.
Aara returns, sweating in spite of the cold corridors. After putting away her weapons and fishing out some clean clothes, she heads for the bathing room. Finding Goddard with eyes closed and head back, she leans against the doorway. I know he isn't asleep, he just isn't listening for anyone.
ReplyDeleteMoving closer, the kicks the tub, making it ring softly. "Wake up, hayati," she says, "it's my turn."
Goddard sleepily opens one eye and looks up at Aara. He then sits up and stretches. "I guess I should give you a turn. You look like you need it."
ReplyDelete"Hey! Get out here and help me with breakfast you lazy slug," Otto pokes his head in the room. "You can't hog the tub."
"You're never this sleepy in the morning, did you stay up too late?" she asks, holding a towel out for him.
ReplyDeleteOtto grits his teeth and turns away when he sees the large scar Goddard got from Tannin.
ReplyDeleteHe's gotten a lot more...that one is the worst...
Goddard takes the towel and wraps it around his waist. "No. I was just really comfortable. I almost fell asleep," he laughs. "And I wasn't even worried about drowning."
Aara feels the same guilt she always does when she sees the scar. Biting her lower lip, she runs her fingers over it. "Damn that infidel," she mutters. "I should have known better than to let you go off with him."
ReplyDelete"Infidel..." Goddard chuckles.
ReplyDelete"And...I kind of knew something like that might have happened," he whispers. "I was looking at the orb before we walked off."
She scowls. "And you didn't take me with you?" She sets off with a string of words in arabyan, pointing at his scar and smacking him lightly on the chest. After a minute, she calmly takes a deep breath and grabs his ears. "Next time you see something like that, you tell me."
ReplyDeleteGoddard stares at her for a moment then smiles and gives her a quick kiss on her lips before he slinks away.
ReplyDeleteShe throws his wet washcloth at him as he walks off. "That wasn't an answer," she says as he closes the door behind him. "Majdoube sihr," she mutters, preparing her bath.
ReplyDeleteKatarina grimaces at the monument an Inquisitor. "There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt" she reads quietly.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's comforting! Especially from the judge, jury, and executioner.
Moving farther along, she pulls back some ivy on a statue of a man in armor. "Only in death, does duty end." She nods appreciably in thought. "Definitely the axiom of a devoted soldier. I hope you died well, Ser." she says giving the statue a salute.
Katarina wanders through the grounds for over an hour seeing all sorts of epitaphs, axioms, and farewells among the grave markers. She finds a stone bench to sit on and pauses there, looking at a large statue of a warrior in ancient style armor. "I wish I could speak to the real you one last time..." she says with a sigh.
"She's scary," Otto says setting some food on the table.
ReplyDelete"I know," Goddard chuckles. He puts a hand to his chest and sighs. "Part of me was so scared. Not to die, but that he would get away and hurt everyone. And it would have been my fault..I had suggested we let him live."
"I fought with all I had until everything started to go black. I couldn't think of doing anything else other than fighting..."
"That's kind of what druchii do," Otto says as he carefully moves a pot of coffee to the table.
Aara continues to mutter to herself until she's washed her hair and it's started to dry. She doesn't like talking about what happened with Tannin and Goddard. It scared her so badly to see him lying there covered in blood and pale. When her fingers and toes are wrinkled, she starts to dress.
ReplyDelete"Rayya, you sent too many clothes," she mutters, dressing in a simple white blouse, sapphire silk skirt, and black corset. Using a dagger as a mirror, she rims her eyes with black khol and runs jasmine oil through her hair, letting it curl behind her. Opening the door, she can smell breakfast on the air.
"It smells wonderful, ustadh," she says as she walks over to the table.
"And it was all my doing," Otto says pointing to Goddard. He's laying on Otto's bed, reading a book.
ReplyDelete"You were practically done," Goddard grumbles, still trying to read.
Otto sighs and sits down at the table. "Come on and eat. You have plenty of time to read books. You have today to take this beautiful jewel to your silly zoo."
Aara blushes a little when he calls her a jewel. "I can tell it's your cooking just by the smell," she tells Otto, taking a seat and pouring herself a cup of coffee. Picking up a boiled egg, she peels it deftly and sprinkles it with salt.
ReplyDelete"It doesn't smell as good as when I cook," Goddard sits in a chair next to Aara and laughs. "Right lecai?"
ReplyDeleteShe stuffs her half-eaten egg in his mouth, crumbling most of it down his front. "It just smells differently," she says diplomatically, peeling a second egg.
ReplyDeleteOtto laughs and Goddard stands up, dusting himself off. He tries to chew the egg but most of it falls to the floor.
ReplyDelete"He has a hard enough time feeding himself, let alone someone else feeding him."
"That wasn't trying to feed me...that was tying to make me shut up," Goddard chuckles.
She grins and takes a bite of sausage. "It worked, didn't it?"
ReplyDelete"Yes it did. And it left a mess for father to clean," Goddard grins.
ReplyDelete"Nonsense, I know how to use a broom," she tells him, sticking her tongue out. "Ustadh," she says, turning to Otto, "just tell me where a broom is and I'll take care of it."
ReplyDelete"Nope," Otto says as he makes a sort of sandwich. "Goddard can clean it. You're my guest. He's still my apprentice."
ReplyDeleteShe giggles and blows Goddard a kiss. "So now it's a mess for you to clean."
ReplyDeleteOtto stares at Goddard with a raised eye brow.
ReplyDeleteGoddard smiles and bows. "Yes Master." He turns on his heels and walks off to get the broom.
Otto's jaw drops. "What...what was that? That...that was scary..."
Aara stares after him. "I know I didn't rub off him that much. Why do I feel that he has something up his sleeve?"
ReplyDelete"I'm used to the 'yes master' part but it's usually after a fit or growling or...biting even..."
ReplyDeleteGoddard quickly sweeps up and sits back at the table to quietly finish his breakfast.
"What are you planning?" Otto asks leaning in.
"Nothing," Goddard says with a smile.
Aara scoots her chair closer to Otto and watches him out of the corner of her eye while she eats.
ReplyDeleteGoddard finishes eating and then wanders around the room as if he were looking for something. "Father, do you have any chocolate?"
ReplyDelete"No...you took the little bit I had left...Why?"
Goddard shrugs and stands behind Aara. "I'm ready when you are, lecai."
Aara stands, edging her way around Goddard with a grin. "If I don't come back, ustadh, write to the sultan and tell him I've gone missing because of an egg," she laughs, retrieving her cloak.
ReplyDeleteOnce Aara and Goddard are out of the building and on the street, he starts laughing.
ReplyDelete"Ahh that really confused him. Who would have thought acting all nice would get that reaction."
"You weren't acting nice," she says, pinning her cloak closed. "You were acting suspiciously. I thought I was getting an egg in my hair."
ReplyDelete"I'd never do such a thing to you, lecai," he smiles.
ReplyDeleteA large shadow suddenly blots out the sun and when they look up, they see a huge griffon.
"That's Deathclaw, the Emperor's griffon."
"I don't know about that..." she says, looking up at the griffin.
ReplyDelete"I think Deathclaw is a boy," Goddard whispers. "So no...you will not get an egg on your head from me or him."
ReplyDeleteShe nudges him with her elbow. "If you had, I'd never used my dagger on you again," she whispers back.
ReplyDelete"We don't need that anymore," he grins and puts his arm around her and pulls her close.
ReplyDeleteHe has his scythe in the other hand, thinking maybe it will scare people away, reminding them he's an amethyst wizard. It works, and they get to the zoo quickly and without an issues. They even get to see the animals better because the crowds around the cages move as well.
"Just because we don't need it doesn't mean it's lost its fun," she tells him when he pulls her close.
ReplyDeleteWhen she notices people moving aside for them, she laughs. "Is this what it was like in Araby with me?" she asks.
"I wasn't paying attention," he says moving past the animals they had already seen the first time around. "I was too busy standing behind you, watching you walk."
ReplyDeleteShe laughs. "No you weren't. You were too busy staring at food and wiping the drool off your chin."
ReplyDeleteShe squeals and runs ahead when she sees a giant brown animal with enormous antlers. Slipping through the crowd, she carefully reads the plaque and laughs. "Nuur'eni, look!" she shouts, leaning against the fence.
"There it is. How we missed it the first time around is beyond me. Your moose. Is he as impressive as you thought?"
ReplyDelete"It's huge," she tells him. "Much bigger than I thought it would be." She looks up at him and grins. "Katarina was right, it does have a big ugly nose."
ReplyDelete"At least it has a nose," he grumbles. The moose moves toward Aara and then snorts at her, blowing warm air into her face.
ReplyDeleteGoddard laughs. "Oh I bet that's gross."
"Don't pout," she whispers. "Your face looks very fine without it." When it snorts at her, she makes a gagging sound, waving her hand in front of her face.
ReplyDelete"Take me somewhere else," she pleads.
He takes her hand and leads her off to a different section of the zoo. The sounds coming from this area are the strangest sounds she has ever heard.
ReplyDeleteThe first things she sees is a white horse with large feathery wings.
"Nuur'eni..." she whispers, eyes wide. People are still giving Goddard wary looks and moving aside for him. "Is that what I think it is?" she asks as they get closer.
ReplyDelete"What do you think it is?" he chuckles. "Oh and here is the little plaque for you to read." The horse gets close enough so that if Aara wanted to pet it, or even hug it's head, she could.
ReplyDeleteShe ignores the plaque and reaches out to the creature. "I've never seen a pegasus," she says, laughing softly when it nudges her hand. She steps closer, running her hands over the horses face and scratching behind its ears.
ReplyDelete"Aren't you something?" she says.
Aara hears a screech behind her. The sound came from a double headed griffon in a large cage with a fence around it to keep people from getting to close.
ReplyDeleteThere is a sign that has an image painted on it...the two headed griffon and a small headless human. Underneath the image are written the words "CAUTION: WILL BITE".
She flinches and turns around. Seeing the griffon, she grabs Goddard's hand and drags him over to the cage, stopping a good distance from the fence. "What keeps them from flying off?" she asks, standing closer to him than necessary.
ReplyDeleteShe notices a woman scowling at her and returns her dirty look, putting an arm around his waist. Even I didn't get the looks he does- and I actually kill people.
"Some chains on the griffons. The pegasus are smart and content to stay on the ground but I think it's mostly Deathclaw. I'm sure they see his shadow fall over them often and know if they go into the sky, they may end up a meal."
ReplyDeleteHe points to another griffon except it isn't in a closed cage and it doesn't have wings. It still has the small fence and a similar sign. "That's a demi-griffon."
She nods as they walk on, still shooting dirty looks to the woman when Goddard isn't looking. When she's out of sight, Aara grins and pulls him close. "What's next?"
ReplyDeleteThe next animal Aara sees is very strange. It has three heads. A lion, a goat, and a dragon and it's tail is a snake. It roars and lunges at the bars of the cage. People who walk by scream and run.
ReplyDeleteAara instead walks right up to the fence surrounding the cage, curious. Why are they running? It's not as if it can reach us from here.
ReplyDeleteShe looks down, trying to sound out the word on the plaque in front of her. "Ch- Chim-" She pauses, rolling the unfamiliar word around. "Chim-era?" she asks, looking over her shoulder at Goddard and pronouncing it as incorrectly as humanly possible.
Goddard chuckles and stands beside her, helping her sound the word out correctly. "Do you like the regular zoo? Or this part of the zoo better?"
ReplyDeleteA shadow passes over them and the chimera quiets down until it passes. It then goes back to trying to get at Aara.
"Oh, I like this part. Porcupines and tigers are all well and good, but this is true magic." She shudders delightfully when Deathclaw flies over them again. "What keeps him from eating everything here?"
ReplyDelete"He's really smart," Goddard says looking up. "He's goes back to the castle at night and flies around during the day.
ReplyDeleteAara spots two familiar animals. There is a nauglir not too far from her and a manticore except this one has the face of a man and it's tail is barbed, looking very similar to a porcupine.
"It's a not-mo-" she pauses. "It's a nauglir," she corrects. After staring at it a moment, she shakes her head. "I still don't like it."
ReplyDeleteThe nauglir stares at Aara and then leaps at the bars. Goddard yells at it and the creature backs away snarling. "Stupid lizard," Goddard chuckles. "And you," Goddard turns to the manticore. "You are much less scary than the one I've met in the wild."
ReplyDeleteWhen it leaps at the bars, she just stands there, staring at it as people around her shriek or jump. She shrugs, and turns to look at the manticore. "It's smaller, too," she adds.
ReplyDeleteKatarina shifts uncomfortably, trying to replicate the position Aara uses for her meditations. "This is just uncomfortable. But maybe that's the point, bypassing distraction or something. Bah! Who am I kidding? I can't concentrate any better here than I could at the inn."
ReplyDelete"So you're giving up, then?" a familiar voice says from behind her.
Turning suddenly, she loses her balance and falls off the bench. Looking up at the speaker, her eyes grow wide as she sees Tannin standing there in full armor.
"How?! You're... you're... and Goddard said..." she stammers.
"Dead? Yes. Then undead and then dead again too. Don't worry, I'm not a ghost, a vampire or something else. Besides you'd have fainted by now if I was any of those, Lady Katarina. You don't have the best track record there." Tannin says with a laugh and broad grin.
Katarina blushes recalling the cathedral in Sylvania. "So if you aren't alive, undead, or a ghost, then what are you? Can I touch you?"
Tannin seems to weigh the answer. "Yes, you can touch me; but my being here right now changes nothing. I'm here to tell you to let go of this burden. You didn't kill me. That rat bastard with the jezail did that. While that traitorous grail did the rest of the work, you couldn't have known what would happen."
Tears begin to well in her eyes. "But now, everything is gone. I wish we had never met."
"While my life was cut short, Katarina. It's not your fault. And think about it. One of us would have still been on this journey, but what happened happened. There's no point in wishing to change that. You bled to save me, no one else even tried. But you can give me something greater than life now."
The Bretonnian knight gently picks up the Kislevarian witch and looks down into her eyes. "Tell my story as your heart remembers it. For as long as someone is remembered, they can never truly be dead. My people want to always be remembered for their deeds recalled in song and story. But only those who were with me know them. Share them so others can."
Katarina hugs him and steps back sniffing. "So you're just his memory then? Curse my feeble mind that I should bear such insanity."
Tannin flashes her that smile again. "You remembered the best parts though, but yes, just a memory. And don't worry, you're not going crazy. I'm just a memory and this is only a dream."
Katarina's eyes snap open and she looks around her at the empty graveyard. Struggling out of the meditation position, she smiles a little. Aara has something there. It did help me focus. Though there's no way I am sitting like that again. I think one of my knees fell asleep.
Pulling out the parchment and quill, she nods as the words form in her head.
Goddard turns around and smiles. "Look lecai. Never mind these horrible creatures. You'll like this one."
ReplyDeleteIt's another white horse. It's mane and tail and much longer than that of a typical horse and it has slight feathering around it's hooves. What makes it really amazing is the swirled horn in the middle of its forehead.
She gasps softly, tears springing into her eyes as she stares. "How sad that she's here," she says softly, getting as close to the fence as the crowd will let her. "Unicorns aren't supposed to be caged and held. Tannin told me they live in magical forests, and only come to the innocent and pure of heart."
ReplyDeleteGoddard puts his hands behind his back and looks down.
ReplyDeleteIdiot...you made her cry! Oh look at the unicorn...idiot...
"It's as caged as the pegasus," he whispers moving close to Aara. Everyone that was in her way moves quickly and she can lean right against the fence. "It's not a closed cage and there are no chains. They stay here for whatever reason."
The unicorn walks toward Aara, still keeping a distance, and looks at her.
Aara looks up at him, blinking away her tears. "I just didn't expect it to be so beautiful. But it she chooses to be here, then it's not sad at all."
ReplyDeleteShe leans back against his chest, reaching for his hand as she and the unicorn watch each other. "Bel'la dos," she whispers, "for bringing me here."
"Naubol," he whispers, resting his chin on her head and holding her hand. "I'm glad I could show you and be here with you."
ReplyDeleteShe commits yet another word to memory, her eyes still on the unicorn. She can hear whispers exploding around them at her close proximity to him, many of them pitying her as the women had the night before. Others are scornful, and her bodyguards ear catches and discards them as non threatening.
ReplyDelete"Is it going to be like this everywhere?" she whispers, chuckling. "It's like we're walking around with three arms or two heads."
"Everywhere in the Empire, yes. But it doesn't matter to me. I'm used to it. Is this worse than in Araby for you?"
ReplyDeleteThey walk to see some more strange animals. Great lizards with leathery wings called terradons and even bigger lizards with three spikes on their face and a crest with even more spikes called a stegadon. "These are creatures from Lustria, where the Lizardmen live."
"It just amazes me that they pity me so much," she laughs, "as though I have no choice in the matter. If they knew what I was, they might not be so surprised." As he shows her more animals, she oohs and ahhs in all the right places, far more focused on the people around them.
ReplyDelete"They would still act the same. Stabbing someone is still more acceptable than using magic," he chuckles.
ReplyDeleteThey get to what appears to be the end where Aara can finally see the massive red dragon Goddard kept telling her about.
She gapes. "Sweet Uzzaya, just look at it. It's enormous," she murmurs in Arabyan. She starts to move forward as if to touch it's cage before Goddard pulls her back.
ReplyDelete"You can't touch him," Goddard laughs. "Only Karl Franz can get close to it. Sometimes he even rides it."
ReplyDeleteSuddenly it makes a sound so loud Aara can feel it in the stone beneath her feet. "Definitely this part of the zoo," she says excitedly. "I'm glad Ibben isn't- Ibben! I left him with the ogre! I have to go pay him so he doesn't eat my monkey!"
ReplyDelete"It was raised from an egg..." Goddard starts to explain before he almost ducks down to the ground after it's sudden loud noise. "Wow! That's loud!"
ReplyDelete"I'm sure he wouldn't eat Ibben," Goddard says optimistically.
"He said he would if I didn't get him back before tonight. Will Otto mind having Ibben around?"
ReplyDelete"Oh no," Goddard says with a grin. "He'll be fine with Ibben. But...let me buy him chocolate so he can't refuse."
ReplyDeleteShe laughs. "Is that they way to his heart, then? I know food was the way to yours."
ReplyDelete"It's always been something that was a treat. And since I now have a bunch of crowns, I'm going to buy him the biggest bar of chocolate I can find."
ReplyDelete"Then let's find it, and wrap it in pink paper with a bow," she laughs as they walk away from the dragon.
ReplyDelete"Let's go get Ibben first," he suggests. "And then we can go shopping."
ReplyDeleteShe finds Ibben curled up on the ogre's head, both asleep in the common room. "Looks like he had an eventful night," she whispers, gathering up her pet and tossing a small pouch under Zorgrats arm.
ReplyDeleteReunited with Aara, Ibben chatters happily and moves from one shoulder to the other, looking in her ears and combing through her hair.
"I'd think that Ibben would be incredibly annoying...and then I remember that Arha can talk," he chuckles.
ReplyDelete"It's not so bad," she says as Ibben attaches himself across her chest with his arms around her neck. "I think Koroush bought him so I wouldn't be lonely." Clipping his leash to the harness in his vest, she nuzzles his head with her cheek.
ReplyDelete"Did it work? You aren't pulling your hair out so maybe it did?"
ReplyDeleteShe smiles. "In a way, I guess it did. But you've helped with that more than Ibben. I never knew how long we would be around any one person, it made it useless to try and make friends till we fell in with all you." Ibben returns to her shoulder and leans toward Goddard, sniffing him.
ReplyDelete