Goddard can see the shore not too far out and he shudders. Naggaroth...again. I've come back much too soon.
The Elthrai travels along the Forbidding Coast before they reach the Sulphur river. The ship pulls into the river delta to wait until the Autarii send a message back regarding the sister of the high elves. While they wait, Zorgrat and Theo figure gathering the wood from the forest and the sulfur from the banks, would make for excellent trade and get them a good bit of gold.
Goddard remains on the ship long after everyone else gets off. He's not quite ready to step foot on Naggaroth again.
"We're home," Sarith whispers. "And it looksssss assss cold and asssss harsssssh asssss ever..."
Aara jumps at the chance of activity. After finding a few empty barrels, she grabs a shovel and pick and starts hacking at the chunks of sulfur.
ReplyDeleteAfter a couple hours, she's covered in a fine sheen of sweat, despite the cold. I've missed hard work. Koroush and luxury has made me soft. Ustadh wouldn't approve.
Goddard watches everyone else working away at gathering materials from the ship, his ghostly retainers at either side.
ReplyDelete"Jussssst like a spoiled highborn," Kaelos chuckles. "Sssstnading up here...watching...assss they work hard and you grow ssssoft."
"I was always fairly squishy," Goddard crosses his arms. "That's not where my power is."
"Hmmm that'ssss right," Sarith tells Kaelos. "He issss a wizard. I keep forgetting that. I never ssssee any magic."
"And the magic that got you and this ship here isn't enough?"
"Can...can we go to land?" one of the corsairs asks Goddard.
Goddard thinks for a moment. "I have no idea. Go ahead and see what happens. I'd imagine you can only go so far from the ship you are bound to."
The corsair nods and floats down to the land. He can stand on it but he can only be a few feet away from the ship before he feels a tug and can no longer move forward.
"Good enough," the corsair grumbles.
After filling her first barrel, Aara taps the lid in place and rolls it back up the ship. After securing it in the hold, she sees Goddard watching from the rail. Sneaking up behind him, she pokes him in the side. "Point," she whispers.
ReplyDelete"And what good are you two if you are going to allow someone to sneak up on me?" Goddard mumbles, remaining motionless.
ReplyDelete"You told ussss not to hurt thesssse...klaths," Sarith groans.
"Well...say something," Goddard grumbles and sighs. "And they are not klaths...kyndul..."
Sarith snarls at Goddard then regains his composure.
"You are dead Khadath?" Kaelos smirks. "That wassss a mortal wound."
"He's right," Aara laughs, slipping in front of Goddard. "It was a mortal wound. Your life is mine," she adds, playfully giving him a quick kiss.
ReplyDeleteGoddard smiles and chuckles a bit. "Usta lecai..."
ReplyDeleteSarith and Kaelos have a slight look of disgust on their faces.
"Ssssssickening," Sarith hisses.
Kaelos nods. "Indeed..."
"Having fun...digging? For that awful rock no less..."
Aara laughs at the specters. "We get even more disgusting when we're alone. Don't pretend you don't know." Looking up at Goddard, she shrugs. "It's mindless and I smell like rotten eggs, but it's something to do and money in my pocket."
ReplyDelete"Sssssome of that isss fine," Sarith chuckles. "The partssss with the daggersssss..."
ReplyDeleteGoddard quickly turns his head to look at Sarith and narrows his eyes at the ex captain. "Merciful Morr?! You watch?"
They both shrug.
Goddard mumbles a few curses under his breath then inhales deeply before he lets a quick cough escape. "You weren't joking lecai...you smell horrible," he laughs.
Aara laughs. "You mean you didn't just assume?" She asks. "And yes, I do smell bad. But I think I'll brave the cold water to bathe later. Or at least grab a bucket or two and ask Theo to heat it for me."
ReplyDelete"I didn't want nor need to have the idea confirmed," Goddard says. "We can heat the water up for you lecai. I may just bathe in the river. It's just easier than dealing with a bucket, no matter how cold it may be."
ReplyDelete"It's a bucket, not a camel nuur'eni. You fill it, carry it, and pour it. I'll bring a couple up for you with mine."
ReplyDeleteShe laughs and pulls him down to whisper in his ear. "Hence the reason why I wouldn't let you leave the light on. I didn't want to see them watching."
"Why sssshow ourselves? We don't need to be sssseen," Sarith says as he disappears. "Ssssee? Ssssily human..."
ReplyDeleteGoddard shakes his head at the specters. "And don't worry about it lecai," he smiles. "The river will be fine for me."
"It made me feel better, dolts." Aara hugs Goddard tightly, getting sweat and sulfur in his clothes before grabbing up her shovel and heading back down to fill another barrel.
ReplyDeleteSarith and Kaelos snicker as Goddard groans and makes a face.
ReplyDelete"Going to the river now, Khadath?"
"Yes...I think so..."
Glancing over her shoulder, Aara grins. "Now you smell pretty horrible, too," she shouts behind her.
ReplyDeleteBack on the ground, she gets back to work.
The specters disappear as Goddard heads to his cabin. He carefully gathers up a change of clothes and a few other supplies before he makes his way down the ramp and up the river, looking for a shallow spot that doesn't have so much sulfur deposits. He keeps the ship in view and doesn't head too far into the trees.
ReplyDelete"This seems counterproductive," Goddard grumbles to himself. "Hmm it doesn't smell as bad up here as it does down there though..."
By the time Aara has decided she's done for the day, she's covered in sweat and too tired to carry water. After grabbing a blanket and some clothes, Aara starts walking upriver to bathe.
ReplyDelete"What I'd give for a steam room, a massage, and a lovely cup of wine," she sighs, aching from shoulder to knee. "But cold water will have to do."
Aara finds Goddard up the bank of the river. He's still wearing what he had on earlier and is crouched by the water and appears to be in deep thought...or distressed. She can't really tell.
ReplyDeleteAara grins when she sees him. Easily distracted. But when she sees his face, she pauses. "Nuur'eni? Are you alright?"
ReplyDelete"It's...it's really cold," Goddard whispers. "But...I smell really bad and you didn't exactly help that. I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for this..."
ReplyDelete"You smell bad?" She laughs, setting her things on a nearby log. "There is no preparing, Goddard."
ReplyDeleteStripping down, she curses as she steps in. "This m-might b-be the q-q-quick-kest bbbbbbath ever."
Goddard laughs at Aara then takes a deep breath before he does the same. He curses in druhir, with words that Aara has never heard him say before.
ReplyDeleteGoddard tries to keep his teeth from chattering.
Aara laughs, but the sound is barely heard over her teeth chattering. Thinking of the warm kitchen on the ship, she scrubs furiously with her ball of soap, wincing when she dips her head underwater to rinse her hair.
ReplyDeleteGoddard shivers and makes an attempt to speak. "I-I rrrrreallly neeeed tttto learn that ssssspell that ccccleans thhhings."
ReplyDeleteClean and rinsed, Aara runs as fast as her freezing limbs will take her to the warmth of a heavy blanket. Wrapping it around her chest, she twists her hair in a towel to look like a turban. "Thatttt wo-wou-would bbbbe n-nice."
ReplyDeleteSitting on a stump, she pulls her feet up and hugs her legs.
Goddard finishes soon after Aara and quickly gets dressed in his noble robes. He shakes his head and wrings out his tail before he brushes his hair with his fingers.
ReplyDelete"K-keeps its from free-freezing," he chuckles. "Th-that woke me up."
Once she's dry, Aara starts dressing in her layers of silk and wool. "I'm not doing that again. Ever."
ReplyDelete"It wasn't too bad," he laughs. Once he stops shivering, Goddard gets to washing his clothes. "But I do like the tub back home. I could just lounge in that and not worry about anything."
ReplyDeleteAara grudgingly washes her clothes next to him. "I'm from the desert, it was worse than bad." She sighs. "I'd give just about anything for a steam room and a massage..."
ReplyDeleteGoddard sighs. "That sounds nice. Especially that massage part. Except I don't think I could get anyone to give me one now." He uses his tail to place clothing he has finished washing behind him.
ReplyDeleteAara wrings out her shirt and sets it beside her. "I'll give you one if you give me one."
ReplyDeleteGoddard stops washing clothes long enough to look at his hands. "I don't think that would be a good idea, lecai. You'll have to get someone else to do it."
ReplyDeleteHe then starts to laugh. "Get Blasti to."
"First: did you hear what you just said? Blasti? And second...hayati, you can't stop touching me because of one incident," she tells him. "If it bothers you so much, I'll file them for you."
ReplyDeleteGoddard laughs some more. "Blasti...I want to wring his neck sometimes...but he's hilarious."
ReplyDelete"And I never said anything about not wanting to touch you. I've always had these claws."
He frowns. "I file them everyday anyway. They grow too fast. It's just the nature of a massage that has me worried."
She frowns. "The nature? You aren't making any sense. At least not to my shoulders and back."
ReplyDelete"You know...all the...this," he makes motions in the air and laughs at how silly he must look. "I could stab you."
ReplyDelete"Well you wouldn't be-" she mimics his gesture, "-on my back. And if you file them right before, no stabbing. But I suppose I can find someone else if you don't want to..."
ReplyDeleteHis ears droop and he shrugs, going back to washing the heavy cloak.
ReplyDeleteSee? See why you should just get someone normal? These kinds of conversations wouldn't happen...
When his ears droop, she stops what she's doing and means her head on his shoulder. "None of it matters, nuur'eni. Not really. It's not as though I'm a lamb being led to slaughter."
ReplyDelete"It matters to me," he mumbles softly. "I have to watch what I do." He finishes his laundry and stands up. "Ready to head back and hang this up to dry?"
ReplyDeleteAara sighs. "Then be careful, but don't punish both of us." Standing, she gathers her wet clothes.
ReplyDeleteDon't be careful. Let me have you just as you are, for as long as I can. Sighing again, Aara wonders if Goddard realizes that the odds of her surviving their final encounter with the vampire are slim. I'm pretty sure I don't have long, nuur'eni. Let me enjoy this.
"I am being careful and sometimes that means avo...never mind." He trudges through the snow toward the ship.
ReplyDeleteFrustrating...do I have to do this massage, have something terrible happen and then tell her I told her so?
"Fine. Don't."
ReplyDeleteAara walks ahead of him back to the ship. Is he really this blind?
She has no idea...
ReplyDeleteHe keeps a bit of a distance behind her and continues to sulk even while hanging up his wet clothes.
"Did you have an argument with the missssesss?" Sarith chuckles.
"The cold sssshowed her how unimpressssive he issss," Kaelos jokes.
"I hate you both," Goddard grumbles.
After she's hung up her clothes, Aara gets the writing kit he gave her and hides in an empty cabin, doodling.
ReplyDelete"Stupid elf," she mutters.
"How am I supposed to deal with that?" Goddard complains to the two druchii.
ReplyDeleteSraith starts to speak. "Well...firsssst you ssssstab..."
"Oh no! I wasn't seriously asking you for your terrible advice," Goddard groans. "Just...I don't know...listen and nod."
Just who am I supposed to ask for advice? Katarina, who will only imagine me as her sister?
ReplyDeleteRayya, who thinks I'll come home docile and let her marry me off?
Or Siba, with her children and her life that doesn't suit me?
Aara looks den at the page she's been drawing on and realizes what she drew. Rafiq. Or the vampire masquerading as Rafiq, anyway. He knows everything about me, and he'll use it against me.
With a sigh, Aara writes "vampire" in arabyan across the bottom of the sketch. I have to be reckless just a little while longer. If I'm too careful or think too much, I may not have the strength to do what needs to be done.
"Stupid elf."
Goddard makes his way to his cabin and throws himself onto the bed. The mechanical nauglir snaps at him and walks around the room. "Why does everything have to be so annoying? Ghosts...metal lizards...bats..."
ReplyDeleteMaster! What was the last annoying thing I have done to you? I've been nothing but amazing!
Goddard rolls his eyes.
"We didn't asssssk to be here."
"And it'sssss ssso eassssy to annoy you, Khadath."
She closes her book and lays it on the floor. Curling up on the unused bed, Aara stares at the wall, trying to get her thoughts in order.
ReplyDeleteWhen Lord Khadath wants me, he can damn sure come find me.
Goddard lays in bed trying to read the tome of Shyish. He lies on his back and reads a bit before he sighs and rolls over onto his stomach and tries to continue reading.
ReplyDeleteHe groans and slides halfway off the bed, only sitting up when he can't handle the blood rushing to his head anymore.
Sarith growls. "Do you mind!? You're like a child...an annoying child..."
"I'm bored...and lonely...and no one said you had to stay here..." Goddard pouts.
Aara's thoughts turn again the vampire.
ReplyDeleteAli and Koroush should know what happens to me. I can't leave that to Goddard to tell them of my death.
Sitting up, she once again takes up her book and pen. Tapping the quills feather against her lips, Aara considers her words carefully before she begins.
Dear Siba,
Forgiv my mistakes, I have only just learned to wriit in reikspeil. I wriit to tel you what I could not in Araby. Our mission is a dangerus one, and we race against time and a vampyre. It is the same creture who led the massacre of Koroush's alcazar.
I have ben given a pendant of Morr that will help me fight the vampyre, but I fear it is not enugh. It has been disguising itself as Rafiq, the vizier the sultan so reliid on, for more then twenty years. He knows me well.
Siba, I do not fool myself, I feel in my bones that I will not survive my batle with it. Koroush bade me avenge his famili, but it is stronger than I.
Pray for me, that when Morr or Uzzaya come for me, I will be unafraid and accept it with grace. If Goddard is able, I will ask him to bring you my swords and daggers, and my bones.
Give my unending love to your children and my brother, and please, show your generus kindness to my hayati when you see him. He dos not know how deeply I love him.
Aara frowns down at the page. Unaccustomed to writing from left to right across a page, it is smeared in places and ink dots the places where she had to search for a word.
"I'll make a fair copy before we make port somewhere," she decides aloud. After carefully cutting the page from her book, she lays down her pen and returns to staring at the wall.
"Ssssshut your damn book and move!" Kaelos snarls after watching Goddard continue to try and read for some time.
ReplyDelete"You guys are pushy!" Goddard snaps at him. "But...I guess I should. And I should find Aara too," he says softly.
"I know exactly where ssshe isss. Follow me."
Goddard follows Kaelos to one of the other cabins. "Lecai?" Goddard whispers as he slowly opens the door and peeks into the room. "Lecai..." he steps into the room and sees she is asleep.
He contemplates carrying her to her own bed and then spots her note.
What's this? Practicing?
He picks it up and reads it.
Aara flinches awake, her bodyguard instincts telling her she isn't alone. She has a hand on a dagger hilt before she even sees Goddard standing there.
ReplyDelete"Oh." She relaxes and sits up.
"Wh-what makes you think I'd let anything happen to you that you need to write such a note now?" He looks confused and hurt. "Or do you think you are not strong enough? Because I can tell you, you are."
ReplyDeleteShe crosses her arms and stares hard at him. "First, why are you reading my letter? That's for Siba, not you. And second-" she pauses, looking away. "You know I'm just a human. I don't expect to walk away from a fight with a vampire."
ReplyDelete"I thought you were just scribbling something down for practice. I wasn't expecting all of this..."
ReplyDelete"Good job...by the way...you learn quickly," he mumbles. "And you forget that you are not just any human and than you are not and will not be alone."
"At the end of the day, I am just any human- a human with a particular set of skills and a lucky amulet, yes, but still a human. Goddard, I'm going to die one day," she says softly. "I don't have time for fear or uncertainty or being careful." Looking up at him, she smiles sadly. "That's why the accident below deck- with your claws- doesn't bother me. I don't want you to restrain yourself, I want you just as you are."
ReplyDelete"But...you're a human with a druchii," he tries to smile. "A great wizard at that...with a ghost ship..."
ReplyDelete"And...I know. And so will I. But I don't want to be the one that ends your life. I want to keep you safe."
"Are you really afraid that you'll kill me? Because you won't. You stopped yourself before you even cut me enough to hurt me. Look at this," she tugs at her shirt collar until he sees her throat and collarbone. "Not even a mark. I'm not worried that you'll kill me."
ReplyDelete"Not even a mark? Your daggers do not make very good mirrors, lecai. Should I go get you something else? You shouldn't lose your sense, no matter how deeply you might love me..."
ReplyDelete"Ok, maybe a couple thin unnoticable scars. But I looked in a mirror, and you aren't looking at all. You didn't tear skin, didn't rip or cut deep. Trust yourself a little." Sure enough, once it's finished healing, it looks like there won't be much of a scar at all.
ReplyDelete"You..."
ReplyDeleteHe sighs and puts the note down. "You don't understand. It isn't easy."
"I can't understand if you don't tell me. But you just expect me to accept things like I have to be careful or it's fine or any other thing you come up with to calm my fears." She raises a brow and watches him from her position on the bed. "You know they don't work, even if I let it go for the moment."
ReplyDelete"You can't understand because you're a..." He doesn't finish his sentence and just crosses his arms. "I've tried to explain things...feelings...urges and it never works."
ReplyDelete"Yes, yes, fragile little human, scary druchii emotions and urges." She waves her hand in the air. "You might have caught me off guard that day and I might not have stopped you then, but do you think it would happen again? I have no intention of dying by your hand."
ReplyDelete"Asur..." he mumbles.
ReplyDelete"Jussssst beat sssssome ssssensssse into her already!"
"Or let usssss..."
They only hear voices.
"Whatever. The point is that you don't have to worry or treat me like I'm made of glass. I'll stop you when it's too much- of anything."
ReplyDelete"And what if you can't say anything? What if you can't talk."
ReplyDelete"Then don't rip out my tongue." When he isn't amused, she grins. "We'll figure it out. Do you really think you'd kill me?"
ReplyDelete"Yesssss he would!"
ReplyDelete"Pleasssse do!"
"He hasssn't killed her yet...what makessss you think he'll kill her now?"
"I hate these things," Goddard growls and looks around the empty room before he slumps and sighs. "And...I don't know, lecai. I'm not wiling to find out though."
Aara sighs, ignoring the specters. "Then what do you want? I'm in the cabin next to yours, should I move across the ship? Go back to wearing a veil? I'll do what you ask. But do not say 'whatever makes you happy' or 'whatever you want.' Give me a real answer."
ReplyDeleteGoddard raises a brow. "Where is all this coming from? I just don't want to cut you up by experimenting with whatever crazy bloody urges I have. I never said I wanted to stop being with you or touching you. But...If that's something on your mind and something you want to do...then by all means..."
ReplyDeleteHe walks around the room a bit and then nods. "I guess this is as good a place as any if you wanted a new room. I should probably go back to mine."
"I don't want any of that. But ever since you cut be you've been acting like I'm made of glass whenever you touch me. It's frustrating to want you so much and feel you pull back because you're afraid of hurting me." She stands and grabs his arm. "I'm as new to this...relationship business as you are. Stop pulling away from me." Looking down, she continues. "I'm afraid I'm going to die on this mission, and I just want to be happy with you before that happens."
ReplyDelete"But I haven't," he whines. "You...it's...you're being difficult..."
ReplyDeleteGoddard lifts her chin up when she looks down and then suddenly kisses her, only letting her go when he thinks she might need to breath.
After gasping in a breath, Aara looks up at him, eyes wide. After kissing him again, she hugs him tight. "I'm sorry," she whispers.
ReplyDeleteThat worked rather well...
ReplyDeleteGoddard kisses the top of her head and hugs Aara back.
Don't speak...no smart ass remarks...nothing! Just...keep your mouth shut...
Too many words...just kiss him again.
ReplyDeleteSo she does.
Goddard takes a step back and smiles. "I...should probably go back to reading. I didn't do a whole lot today like I should have." He waits to see how she'll react now.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to remember that a kiss fixes everything apparently.
Aara nods, biting her knuckle. "I should...uh...find something to do." She picks up her letter to Siba. "Like rewrite this," she says, crumpling it.
ReplyDeleteHe wants to frown at that fact that she still wants to write such a letter but forces a smile instead before turning and walking back to his cabin.
ReplyDeleteShe grins at his struggle to smile as she follows him out. "I'm thinking more along the lines of 'dear Siba, having a great time in Naggarond, wish you were here.' What do you think?"
ReplyDeleteHe genuinely smiles and laughs a bit. "Now that would all be a lie. Do you want your whole letter to be a lie? No one ever has a great time in Naggaraoth and it's a terrible vacation spot."
ReplyDelete"It wouldn't be a total lie. Having Siba around would greatly increase everyone's chances of survival- she's ten times the swordswoman I am."
ReplyDelete"Hopefully we won't need to fight anything this time. I'd like to avoid it completely. Just lots of talking and politicking and no more weddings!"
ReplyDeleteGoddard flops down onto the bed and buries his face in his pillow.
"There is some really pretty paper over there you can write on if you want," he mumbles, turning his head slightly so she can hear him. "It's got blue flowers on it. The vendor wouldn't sell me only the paper I wanted. He insisted I take a mix. What do I want blue flowers on my paper for?"
"Maybe you seem the poetic type?" she suggests, rummaging through the paper. "How do you find anything? Look at this mess."
ReplyDeleteOnce she finds the paper he mentioned, she sits at the little table and turns over her original letter to revise it- leaving out some of the more upsetting parts.
"It's not a mess," he says defensively. "I know exactly where everything is." Goddard sits up in bed and tosses the blanket aside. "Now...where did I put that book..."
ReplyDelete"A mess? This place is a war zone! I swear you walk in and turn your bags upside down and shake everything out. Even your clothes are everywhere." Unable to stand it, she starts picking up his clothes and folding them, making a neat pile on the bed.
ReplyDelete"Hey! Don't disorganize my stuff!" Goddard slides off the bed and rummages around under it, finally pulling one of the tomes out. "How did you end up there?"
ReplyDelete"Disorganize? There would have to be organization for me to disorganize. Nuur'eni, folding clothes and putting them in a footlocker isn't disorganizing," she says patiently, doing just that. "It's ensuring I don't trip and break my neck because you leave you clothes everywhere."
ReplyDelete"Ok," he climbs back onto the bed and flips through the pages of the book. "But just the clothes...nothing else. I might need to find something."
ReplyDelete"Like the floor?" she asks, shoving a stack of books and paper aside so she can sit in a chair with a shiver, she moves her chair closer to the brazier. "Damn snow," she mutters.
ReplyDelete"Hey!" Goddard quickly stands and lifts up the stack of books and papers she shoves aside. He looks around the room carefully and thoughtfully and then finally places the stack on the floor by the bed. "Perfect!" he says with a smile and hops back onto the bed.
ReplyDelete"No wonder your rooms in Altdorf look the way they do. You're both slobs," she murmurs, chewing her lip hard and carefully penning her letter on the pretty stationary. Occasionally she stops to ask about a word spelling or usage.
ReplyDelete"That place was pristine," Goddard says matter a factually. "We were probably the most organized wizards there."
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't look up from the tome as he defends his 'mess' or as he helps Aara out with her writing.
She snorts. "Pristine? Did you see Ali's house and the safehouse? That's pristine, my love."
ReplyDelete"That wasn't a place for wizards," he reaches over to the table by the bed and grabs a quill from the well and begins to write on his arm.
ReplyDelete"Are wizards allergic to tidiness by nature?" she asks, beginning to painstakingly copy her letter cleanly.
ReplyDelete"Everything is different," he whispers as he works on writing. "You don't have time to... organize. Everything organizes itself to where it's supposed to be."
ReplyDeleteAara shakes her head, but doesn't answer. When she's finished, she blows on the ink and jumps onto the bed. "How many ghastly mistakes are there?" she asks, handing it to him.
ReplyDeleteGoddard takes the sheet and looks it over for a while. "Hmmm...yes...no...oh..." he mumbles before handing it back. "Perfectly fine, lecai," he grins.
ReplyDelete"Really?" she takes it back and slowly reads through it. "Hmmm...alright." folding it and slipping it into her saddlebag, she sits on the floor and tosses Ibben's ball at the sleeping monkey.
ReplyDelete"Wake up lazy ape."
"Monkey," Goddard corrects her, turning a page. "He has a tail."
ReplyDeleteAara sticks her tongue out at him. "Hush you and read your book."
ReplyDeleteWhen Ibben decides to come over to her, it's to climb on her shoulder and shake his little fist at the metal lizard. Laughing, Aara gives him a treat.
"You don't like the not-moose?" she asks in Arabyan.
Goddard smirks. "Yes ma'am."
ReplyDeleteHe stops reading for a moment and watches Aara and Ibben.
She doesn't notice him watching, fully absorbed in her never ending game of catch and wrestle. Laughing, she tugs on his tail and makes him shriek at her.
ReplyDeleteGoddard sighs and makes a disapproving noise but doesn't say anything.
ReplyDelete"What is it?" She asks, tossing Ibben's ball for him.
ReplyDelete"Pulling tails? Tsk tsk tsk. It's ok Ibben. I understand." Goddard's tail flicks.
ReplyDelete"He pulls my hair all the time. And I don't pull on your tail," she lies defensively.
ReplyDelete"It's not the same." He licks his finger and turns another page. "That's your hair. This is our spine," he chuckles. "And don't lie. At least you don't drag me by it."
ReplyDelete"It still hurts. And I don't tug hard. And half the time you have it wrapped around an arm or leg and it's an accident."
ReplyDelete"I can't help that. That's usually when I'm asleep. Stop being so close," he laughs.
ReplyDelete"I'm asleep too so I can't be blamed. Stop putting me in countries covered in snow," she counters playfully. "Then I won't need to snuggle so close. I can sleep naked and alone," she adds with a grin, nuzzling Ibben.
ReplyDeleteHe raises a brow and grins. "You won't be alone for long."
ReplyDelete"Oh? Why's that, nuur'eni?"
ReplyDeleteGoddard shakes his head and chuckles. "What a silly question, lecai."
ReplyDeleteShe snorts again, grinning. "Hush you. Read your book." Giving Ibben his ball, she lets him entertain himself. She pulls out the various items she uses to maintain her weapons and starts on her scimitars, sharpening them with long easy strokes, humming.
ReplyDeleteGoddard remains quietly reading the whole time Aara is taking care of her weapons. She'll hear a page turn and him mumble something unintelligible but he's otherwise quiet.
ReplyDeleteAfter a long time, she starts talking. "Ustadh called me Four for a long time," she starts. "He said I was too skinny and too small and too reckless to be any good with these. He frightened be just enough to want to prove him wrong." She moves to her second sword. "When I started to be one of those silly girls who sighed with a fluttering heart at every smile, he hated it. Said it was a distraction. It almost got me killed once at a ball. When I got back, Ustadh was as furious as he was worried."
ReplyDelete"Almost got you killed at a ball?" He looks up. "Is that anything like how we almost killed each other dancing?"
ReplyDeleteShe shakes her head and runs her fingers along the jagged scar on the underside of her forearm. "Koroush had insisted I dance with him, and I heard a crossbow winding. The music stopped and I made him keep dancing so I could look around, but he whispered something that made me blush and giggle. I barely managed to push him away when I heard it go off and caught it with my arm. The surgeon said I nearly bled to death."
ReplyDeleteGoddard frowns. "Well...that wasn't really your fault? He shouldn't have made you all giggly." He thinks for a moment. "I guess maybe I shouldn't make you giggly either huh?"
ReplyDelete"It wasn't anyone's fault. There was an assassin. And I was young and silly." She laughs. "I think that was the moment I decided I had no time for love and its complications."
ReplyDelete"You're still young," he smiles. "And silly. And it appears both our masters think love is a terrible horrible thing that we need to just toss into the ocean and forget about."
ReplyDeleteShe smiles at him over her shoulder. "You made me young and silly again. Otherwise I'd have gotten older and more prudish in the months since we met." She pauses to think a moment. "Maybe I have gotten older....what day is it?"
ReplyDelete"I'm so glad you reverted back to young and silly," he sighs happily and chuckles. Goddard furrows his brow and thinks for a moment before he himself finally remembers what day it is.
ReplyDeleteShe rolls her eyes and laughs. "I should have let you suffer a little longer." Counting on her fingers from pinky to thumb and left to right, she frowns. "Really? My birthday was eight days ago. I'm twenty-two now. And I missed it."
ReplyDelete"Oh no! We need to celebrate! Should we get drunk?" he laughs. "The halfling makes really good alcohol."
ReplyDelete"You can't celebrate something that happened eight days ago! That's like celebrating a holiday six months late."
ReplyDelete"Um...no it's not lecai," he grumbles. "Six months is not eight days. Must I teach you math too?" Goddard laughs and stands up. "Wait here. I'll be back. We'll lock ourselves away and celebrate. We have to celebrate your birthdays. It's ok to skip mine. I stopped caring long ago but yours...you're still young."
ReplyDelete"I can do arithmetic just fine, thank you," she laughs as he steps over her and leaves the room.
ReplyDeleteGoddard heads to the galley and gathers up a large plate of sweets and a few bottles of wine. As much as he can carry.
ReplyDelete"You're in charge of defending the ship if need be," he mumbles, trying to hold onto a pouch of sweets with his teeth. "Don't do anything stupid ok?"
"Yessss Khadath," Sarith groans. "You'll be hoarding all the sssstupid anyway...Come on Kaelossss..."
"Stupid ghosts..."
Goddard returns to the room, places everything on the bed, and then goes back to lock the door.
When he returns, she laughs. "Nuur'eni, this is unnecessary." All the same, she nibbles on one of the selections he brought. "It's not important."
ReplyDeleteGoddard pours them each a full glass of wine. "Of course it's important! And this is all necessary. To properly celebrate anything, you need alcohol and sweets. That's what I was raised to believe anyway."
ReplyDeleteShe takes the wine and sits on the bed, leaning against the wall. "And what will we do, now that we are locked away with wine and sweets?"
ReplyDelete"Get drunk," he sits next to her. "Eat...maybe we can celebrate my birthday too and you can unwrap me and I can unwrap you?" He grins.
ReplyDeleteAara takes a long drink of wine to cove her blush. "Good thing I'm better at unwrapping than I used to be."
ReplyDeleteGoddard finishes his third goblet of wine and looks down sadly into the empty container. "I...I need more...do you need more? I need more sweets too...more sugar," he chuckles.
ReplyDeleteAara giggles, almost falling over. "More!" she declares, jumping to her feet.
ReplyDeleteShe promptly stumbles and has to grab Goddard's head to steady herself. Giggling again, she tries to make it look like she just wanted to hug his head.
"Hey...hey hey..." he mumbles. "Watch yourself up there. It's all..pokey...and stabby..."
ReplyDelete"I'm pokey and stabby," she giggles, kissing a horn. "And I know my way around."
ReplyDeleteJust then, the door is knocked on so hard it rattles the hinges. "Op'n up! I got ter talk to ye!"
ReplyDeleteAara looks over to the door, surprised. Zorgrat beats on the door again.
"Op'n up! I needs yer he'p!"
She looks down at Goddard and giggles. "Should we let him in?" She whispers.